Immortal Beloved
by elusivetwilight
Summary: 'My thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us.  I can live only wholly with you or not at all.'  Newborn vampire Bella stumbles through the centuries to unlock what has happened to Edward. E
1. Chapter 1

**Ohai, new readers and returning vets!**

**This story started out as a one shot for FGB, and I'm now continuing it. Below is not the one shot.**

**This story was inspired by the Immortal Beloved letters that were written by Beethoven to a mystery woman. The letters were found after his death. There is a link on my profile to the letters if you're interested.**

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BPOV

Time exists for humans along a single one-way thread. It is measurable, it is constant, it flows in a specific current.

But when time is beyond that measure, when it ceases to be minutes and hours, when days melt into each other and years seem minute, it's who is with you that seems to matter.

My boots crunched against the rusty desert sand, the sound seemed loud in the quiet around me. The midday sun cast shadows in the brush, and somewhere far off, a jack rabbit ran for cover.

If I had a heart, if it beat, it would be exploding with sweet adrenaline, a ticking bomb, waiting for the eventual explosion.

A warm breeze picked up and stirred a small dirt devil in the far distance, and wavy lines rose from the baking horizon.

This fight had been a long time coming, one I had been waiting for.

After all, they had something of mine.

And I wanted it back.

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**Thanks for reading. This will probably update every couple of weeks.**

*****THIS WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME ENDING AS INCUBUS ANOMALY.*** **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**This is the one shot that was won by randommama in FGB. It was based on the picture located in my profile.**

*****Please note, the letters in italics are Beethoven's words, not mine.*****

*****Translations: _mein Engelchen_ is German for my angel (thanks to Cougar Chloe for helping me with that!)**

**Huge thanks TwilightMomofTwo who beta'd this for me. And much love to my pre-reader snshyne.**

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EPOV

_Vienna, 1801_

I remember the first time I saw her.

She was beyond words. Describing her in sounds and syllables seemed somehow impossible.

Yet I shall try.

She was like an angel. Her long hair was the rich color and shine of polished mahogany wood, her skin perfection, like fresh cream. Her eyes were wide and innocent, lined with long lashes, and the color of perfectly warmed brandy.

She was small and petite in frame, and I swear that if my heart were beating, it would have stopped at the very sight of her.

In fact, my fingers nearly paused in their movement on the keys of the piano I was playing. This evening I had been asked to perform in the salon of a friend for his wife's company. My brief glance of heaven was almost too much, and I returned to the keys in front of me, playing for her alone now. I wondered if she could hear in the notes the affect she had on me.

Notes floated, stirred around us, and I concentrated on the melody, seeing it through to the end.

I finished, and a small applause from my audience followed. I stood, bowed graciously, and briefly glanced up.

Yes, _mein Engel _was still in attendance.

Perhaps it was a fluke of nature, cruelly handed

to me. The flicker of candlelight brought her beauty into sharp focus, and then she was called away, to another room.

I felt the loss instantly. Though, she was still so very close, the light fragrance of something flowery and soft like freesia lingered in the air.

I was expected to mingle, and my host was complimentary enough to introduce me to some of his guests. I nodded and acknowledged pleasantries.

There was only one introduction I wished for.

And finally, the moment came. I could hear the air rushing in my ears, and the room grew silent and dimmed around us, as her eyes met mine. Her smell, her very decadent scent, leaped down my throat and burned, igniting a hunger for her more potent than any I had ever experienced before.

"Herr Cullen, allow me to introduce you to my wife's niece, Fraulein Isabella Marie Swan."

I took her hand in the usual social requirements, but when her skin met mine, the touch sent a shock through my entire system.

I had to have her. She was heaven at once, and hell another.

My eyes met hers as I glanced up from her soft hand, and I could tell she was just as affected, by the dark pupils of her eyes and the quickened pulse at her throat.

Pulsing wetly, pumping delicious nectar through her entire body.

I remembered to let go of her hand before I crushed it.

The party lasted into the early hours of the morning, and I played once more before saying my good- byes. Although I had been welcomed into this house, I was still a stranger in this city.

I had moved to Vienna to be part of the musical romanticism that seemed to be sweeping this city. I was drawn to the beauty and taken with the flurry of excitement that seemed rampant in the city.

I was able to establish myself under a highly regarded composer, and soon made a name for myself.

It was easy enough.

The only wrinkle in what could be possibly seen as the perfection of my life, and the music I created, was that I was not truly alive to enjoy it.

I had died several decades before, at the hands of a cruel illness. However, in contradiction to nature, I was soon reanimated at the hands of one who was searching for a companion.

And he made me as he was.

_Vampir_.

The walking undead. Unholy with our thirst for blood.

My father, for our intents and purposes, had taught me to hunt for animal blood, making it easier to move in and around humans, enjoying other pursuits.

Which is how I had found myself alone in Vienna for the first time.

Staring into the most beautiful vision I had ever had the pleasure to look upon.

And she should not be mine. For she was mortal.

And I was not.

+IB+

Several days later I was expected to attend another party at an acquaintance of my host. I dressed with care, as I had been advised that this would be attended by some of the guests from the previous soiree.

I hoped _she_ would be there.

We entered, and made the obligatory salutations to our host. I found the card tables, all the while my senses waiting for that smell, waiting for the mere hint of her in the air.

And in the middle of the next hand, I found it.

Discreetly, a note was passed to me by a servant. I opened it under the table and read, in a feminine scrawl, words which excited me beyond measure.

_Meet me on the balcony._

I folded out of the game, and made my way through the crowded room to the balcony. The air was crisp, and I wondered if she would feel the affects of the cold.

I shut the small door to the balcony, and knew she was to my right, in the shadows.

"Fräulein Swan?" I queried.

She moved out of the darker corner, into the moonlight.

"Bella, please, Herr Cullen."

Her dress was an icy blue, it melted with the moonlight, and I swallowed against the burn in my throat that her presence evoked.

I swallowed. "Edward then, if I am to call you Bella."

She nodded, her lashes sweeping her cheeks as she looked down. A blush crept over her lovely features.

"Bella?"

Her eyes met mine again, and she was as a small animal, caught in the first stirrings of danger. I stepped closer to her, and she took a step back towards the darker corner.

She shivered, and I moved closer to her. She took in my eyes, and I listened to her heartbeat increase, her breathing raise. Her pupils dilated in fear, and something else.

My hands lifted, and slowly, I settled them over her arms, where her skin was bare above her white satin evening gloves. She gasped when my skin met hers.

I noted the intake of breath, and I leaned close, torturing myself with her scent.

"Why did you ask me out here? It is a large risk."

She nodded, "I know."

"Why did you do it?" My hand reached up of its own volition, but I stopped before I touched her cheek.

Her breasts rose and fell at the neckline of her dress, as she took a deep breath to speak, "Since that night a sennight ago, I cannot erase you from my mind. Maybe I'm too forward, maybe I'm doing this wrong, but I have to know who you are. Why you affect me the way you do."

I took another step forward, and she moved with me, as if we were dancing. She squeaked when her back met the wall.

"It would not do for me to answer all of your questions, _mein Engelchen._" I leaned close, my nose caressing the warm skin of her neck. I could have her out here, and no one would be the wiser.

She turned her face to mine, and our lips caressed in a small, accidental kiss.

"I must go," she said breathlessly against my lips.

"Stay," I asked, my hands spanning her tiny waist.

"They will miss me soon," she sighed as I kissed her neck, and shivered when my teeth grazed her shoulder.

"Don't go," I placed a kiss over her décolletage, and the small sound she made was truly music I could make all night. A tender note, for me alone.

A train of thought on the inside caught my notice, and I knew we would be caught.

_Isabella should not stay in that night air too long, she will catch her death. _

I looked into her eyes, my fingers seizing her small delicate chin.

"Until we meet again, _mein Engelchen_."

I heard her gasp as I jumped over the railing of the balcony, landing quietly two floors below in the garden. Above, I heard the balcony doors open.

"Isabella," a feminine voice called, "what are you doing out here?"

"Watching the stars."

"Come inside where the party is, dear girl. The handsome men are inside, waiting to dance with you."

"Very well."

I heard footsteps echo, and the balcony doors closed.

+IB+

And so it was this way, we would find ourselves at the same evening parties, somehow stealing a moment together.

I would stand and wait and sometimes she sent a servant with a note, other times she would hand the note to me herself. Always it was to meet her in some discreet corner.

Where it was quiet, where it was dark.

Ah! If she only knew the nefarious plans I had for her. For every time that we met, it went a little further. At first, it was a touch, my fingers tracing over her skin, her gloved hand on my arm. Then her gloves were removed, and her fingertips would trace my jaw. Then it was a chaste kiss on the lips, followed by more subtle persuasions.

Once, we found a quiet library, and I pulled her against me, my lips kissing her neck, my teeth skimming over her rapid pulse. But I did not drink.

But, oh! How I wanted to taste her. Everywhere.

In the moments where we could not be together, we took to exchanging correspondence. Usually, it was via servants, who were paid well for quick delivery and silent compliance.

_My angel, my all, my very self _

_We shall surely see each other soon; moreover, today I cannot share with you the thoughts I have had during these last few days touching my own life - If our hearts were always close together, I would have none of these. My heart is full of so many things to say to you - ah - there are moments when I feel that speech amounts to nothing at all - Cheer up - remain my true, my only treasure, my all as I am yours. The gods must send us the rest, what for us must and shall be - _

_Your faithful _

_EDWARD_

_..._

Edward,

My heart is a silly thing, it knows you are near and aches when you are away. It is to the point of near madness, and I am driven to the window at night, wondering where you are and if you are thinking of me also.

My aunt now wonders at the dark circles under my eyes, and bids me drink some horrible tonic. It is vile, and I have thrown it outside after she leaves.

I miss you. I love you.

~Bella

...

_Bella,_

_You are suffering, my dearest creature…You are suffering - Ah, wherever I am, there you are also - I will arrange it with you and me that I can live with you. What a life! thus! without you - Much as you love me - I love you more - But do not ever conceal yourself from me - good night - As Oh God - so near! so far! Is not our love truly a heavenly structure, and also as firm as the vault of heaven? _

_Your_

_Edward_

_..._

And so it was, by the grace of good fortune, that I was unobtrusively turned out of my current flat, and upon discussion with my acquaintance, I was given residence within his large home. I was one of several guests who were staying for the season, and I made haste to my new lodgings.

It was no grand room, but the bed was there, and all the usual trappings of humanity: wardrobe, wash basin. I was lucky enough to have a window, and could observe the back court and garden of the estate.

Best of all, it was in the same wing as my Bella, and we sometimes passed in the small hallway, and exchanged quiet declarations. I did not join the family for mealtimes, tending to break my fast in the quiet of my room. At least, that was the excuse I gave. I could tell from the reaction in their thoughts, that this attributed as a quirk to my musician's demeanor, and I was left to my own devices.

But the night time was glorious. Those nights where no event was scheduled, the guests would mingle, and I found myself by the fire, studying the chess board.

Chess was a boring game, as most opponents would scream their maneuvers at me from their minds, and it was hard not to pick them out of their heads.

There was, of course, one exception.

My Bella, _mein Engelchen_, was the perfect quiet companion over the chessboard, her mind brilliantly silent to me. The soft reprieve of her quiet mind, locked away from me, both fascinated and calmed me. It also made her presence all the more addictive.

So it was to my surprise that she made her final move on the board for that evening, "Check mate, Herr Cullen."

I blinked and looked down at the board. No one had ever bested me before.

I caught my dark hungry eyes in her eyes as I countered, "You shall pay for that later, _mein Engelchen_."

She pursed her lips, and the action made my trousers uncomfortably tight, "I look forward to it," she whispered.

She stood and, in that graceful way of hers, quit the room.

Tonight, I would make her mine. Tonight, I would taste her.

+IB+

I waited until it was very late, until the entire household was quiet and asleep, until the servants were in their quarters, and only the soft sighs of sleep could be heard by my sensitive ears.

I walked by stealth, needing no candle light as my eyes knew the darkness well, and my nose followed her scent. I arrived at her door; it was at the end of the hall. Quickly and quietly, I opened it and let myself into the room.

I was in what appeared to be a morning room. Candles were lit, lending a soft glow to the otherwise harsh darkness. A heavy red curtain covered the window, and a matching red couch sat on a rug in front of the fire.

And there, in front of the dying fire, lay my heart, fast asleep. She was wrapped in green velvet; it was the same dress she had worn earlier this evening. Her skin was like a soft pearl in the candle glow, and my eyes studied her ethereal beauty, while my throat burned for a taste of her. One of her arms was arched over her head, her hand resting near her forehead, and the posture seemed both giving and vulnerable.

I could not stand it anymore. I had to have her.

Slowly, I stalked forward. The silence seemed loud in my ears, my throat burned, and my instincts took over. Her smell filled my nostrils, and I listened to the moist sound of her blood, moving idly through her veins.

Her breathing was still soft, and her eyes moved behind her eyelids as she dreamed.

Her pulse thudded in my ears, and my mouth watered with venom. I tried to swallow it back, and my throat protested, wanting blood.

Her blood.

I bent over her, my knee coming to rest near her hip. My arm coming around her waist, arching her spine towards me. Her chin angled, exposing more of her neck to me, and her artery pulsed, beguiling.

My lips touched her neck, and she sighed in her sleep. I knew I must be careful, should she ingest too much of my venom, it would be enough to turn her, like me.

As gently as I could, I opened her skin to me, and it was as if planets shifted, the earth moved, and everything clicked into place.

Her taste was an absolute euphoria I never wanted to come down from. I fed from her luscious neck, and she sighed in her sleep.

"Edward," she breathed.

Abruptly, I stopped. It pained me to do so, such was her beautiful taste. I licked her neck, sealing the wound with the tiniest amount of venom.

"Edward, I waited for you," she whispered. Her hands crept around my neck, and I swallowed the last of her taste down my throat. Greedily, I wanted more, knowing I couldn't take more than I had already.

I licked my lips, as my nose skimmed along her jaw and up her cheek. Her eyes opened and looked into mine, and I pressed a kiss against her lips.

"You are sure you are ready for this?" I asked.

"Yes, Edward. I want you. Only you."

I am a fiend. A nightmare, a murderer, a coveter. I am a soulless demon.

And now, I planned on adding maidenhead stealer to this list of vulgarities.

My arms moved, sliding under her knees and her back, and I lifted her. Trustingly, she kept her arms around my neck, and her dark brown hair glistened in the small candlelight.

The door to her bedroom stood open, and I carried her inside. The curtains had not been drawn, and moonlight filtered in, casting light on the white linen covering her bed.

I set her down and went into the other room to blow the candles out. When I returned, she was trying to unbutton her dress, struggling nervously.

I swept her fingers aside, and had the small buttons undone down her back. My hands were at her shoulders, and slid the tiny bell sleeves over her arms. The dress pooled at her feet, and she moved her hands to tug at the ribbons of her chemise. I removed this from her shoulders first, kissing the skin as it was revealed to me.

"You are so beautiful, _mein Engelchen_."

"Truly?"

I kissed the side of her neck, where only moments before I had pierced the skin. "Truly."

Her stays were last, and as I unlaced them, she breathed more fully. Her fingers unlaced the ribbons of her pantalets and they fell to the floor as the stays slid from her arms and she let them drop to join the rest of her clothing. She turned then, and I had a glance of full soft breasts, a tiny willowy waist and soft hips before she pressed against me, shyly.

My hands were at my cravat, and I loosened it. She tugged it from around my neck and dropped it behind her, as my lips found hers. Her hands lay against my chest, before sliding up, to take my jacket off. It fell behind us, while her nimble fingers moved to the buttons of my shirt, dancing from the collar downward, sliding against the fabric.

Our mouths melded, her tongue touching mine shyly at first until I took over the kiss, demanding more from her. She opened my shirt, pulling it from my trousers and slowly pushed it down my arms.

She touched me, her warm hands a fire on my icy flesh.

Bella pressed herself against me, and I hissed at the contact of her heat against me. I stepped from her slightly, and lifted her against my chest again, carrying her the rest of the way to the bed.

Depositing her in the center, she seemed to shrink back into the covers, reaching for a pillow to cover herself, but I stopped her.

"Don't. Let me look at you, love."

I could see her blush in the moonlight, as I studied the unmarred perfection before me. Gentle slopes of soft skin, valleys and plains. Her nipples were pink and hardened with cold, and for a moment, I wished I was warmer.

I traced a finger from her neck, over her heart, between her breasts, and moved over her belly to her navel.

"You are exquisite."

She released a breath as I knelt over her, kissing her neck, and following the same path of my finger. I could taste her on my lips, from her skin alone. Her scent drove me near insane with lust, but I knew that I must go slowly.

For both of us.

My lips moved back up towards her breasts, and I teased her, kissing the warm flesh around her nipple before fully engulfing the aroused peak with my mouth.

She moaned, her fingers combing through my hair, her nails at the nape of my neck, as I swirled my tongue over her, sucking, and her legs moved, rubbing together. I knew what she needed there, but not yet. My eyes closed as the taste of her skin filled my mouth. Gently, softly, my teeth grazed over her and she groaned arching her back.

I lifted my mouth, and kissed her over her heart.

"Do you like that?"

"Yes," she shyly whispered. I teased her other breast, her soft skin in my mouth as I tasted, teased and sucked until she was writhing beneath me.

My lips moved up towards the column of her neck, and to her ear as my hands went to the front of my trousers, where I undid the buttons. I was free in a matter of seconds.

"Open your legs, _mein Engelchen_."

She hesitated, but her eyes looked trustingly into mine as I settled between them. We gasped together, our breath mingling in surprise at the contrast of fire and ice.

My hardened length was nestled against her, and as my lips found her ear, my hand reached between us to touch her. I sucked her earlobe into my mouth as my fingers swirled around the tiny nub of aroused flesh I found between her wet folds. She pushed against my hand as I continued to kiss her neck, and her nipples rubbed against the skin of my chest as she arched her back in need.

"Edward," she panted, "I need…"

I kissed her mouth, "What do you need?"

"You."

"Open your legs wider, yes, like that."

I positioned myself at her entrance, and kissed her mouth as I entered her in one stroke, smelling blood as the tiny barrier was ripped open. My throat burned, and I tried to quiet the possessive growl in my throat as not to frighten her. I could feel her tense underneath me.

She trembled as I let her lips go, to look at her face. "Are you alright?"

She bit her lip and nodded, as a small tear escaped, and rolled towards her hairline.

"Shhh. I am sorry. I will stay still, it will be all right in a moment."

I paused then, and tried hard not to move. It was difficult to say the least.

I looked at her face. "Are you ready?"

She nodded and I moved out and back in again, her heat surrounding me. She whimpered.

"This is too much for you-"

"No, Edward. Please, keep going."

I did, moving my hips again. I tried to reach between us, moving my fingers over her aroused flesh, bringing her closer until her hips bucked against me.

When she was moaning, I pressed again inside her, trying to move with her to bring her to completion. She sighed this time, and her face relaxed slightly.

We found rhythm, and moved in perfect unison together. I could tell when she was close, her soft little cries became louder and I captured them with my mouth. I continued to move my finger against her, swirling, until she writhed beneath me.

She tensed up, and I felt her tip over the edge, dying that little death, and I was not long in following after her.

There seemed to be an encompassing glow, like a bubble around us. She was soft and warm in my arms, her body slick against mine. The moment she shivered, I pulled the coverlet over us. She drew tiny circles on my chest, and the darkness seemed to pulse around us.

I realized it was her heart.

"Is it always like this?" she whispered.

"Not that I know of. But then, I have never known anyone quite like you, Bella."

I squeezed her in my arms.

"You are not like other men, Edward."

I laughed and nuzzled her throat. "You dare speak of other men to me?"

She giggled. "You know what I mean, Edward."

I sighed. This was very dangerous territory.

"You are right. I am not like other men."

"Why is that?" she asked.

My hand ran down her side, to her hip, squeezing.

"Be careful what you ask, you may get answers you do not want."

She sighed, and I could almost feel her mind racing.

"I have theories."

I tensed. "Really?"

She nodded but did not continue. I jostled her gently. "Well?"

"Your skin is cold, and I never see you during the day at the park, or out riding. You never join us for mealtimes, and you are so very pale."

I tried to laugh off her observations. "I am merely dedicated to my work."

Bella's cheek rested against my chest, as she silently contemplated my rebuttal.

"Edward?" she whispered, her voice soft and quiet, hesitating in the darkness.

"Hmm?" I answered, as my hand swept over her soft skin.

"Why can't I hear your heart beating?"

I swallowed. This was getting worse by the second.

I took a deep breath, which was a wrong move, as her scent reminded me of her delectable taste.

She angled herself up so she could look me in the eye, folding her arms on my chest.

"I might be female, Edward. But I'm not stupid."

"I don't know what you mean."

She ducked her chin back down, and her arms were around me, as if to keep me from moving away from her.

"I heard the maids talking once. About a man who wasn't a man. About how he…lived on blood."

The silence between her words weighed heavily in the air around us.

"About how they are dead, but they can live forever."

I swallowed, but this was nervousness, and I knew my body was too tense.

"About…vampires."

I exhaled as the word seemed to slam off of the walls around us.

"And?" I asked.

"I know what you are, Edward."

I waited a beat, and then asked. "Are you afraid?"

"No. If you were going to hurt me, you've had plenty of opportunity to do so."

My hand found her cheek, and I stroked over her, gently, "I could never hurt you."

"I know," she whispered.

Quiet settled between us, as I tried to process that this slip of a human had found me out, knew something that no human should know.

"Edward. I want to be with you."

I shifted us, so I could see her face, and couldn't resist kissing her lips, "You are with me."

She shook her head slightly, her eyes serious. "I want to be _like_ you, with you."

I hissed my denial. "No, Bella. You mustn't want these things."

She kissed my face, my forehead, my cheeks, my lips, in between murmuring. "But I don't have anything else to live for. This life bores me, the constant empty parties, the prattling on and on about things that do not mean anything. I want to be with you, to experience your life. Your music fills my soul."

"Bella. Bella stop. My music may fill your soul, but when you are…like me, you no longer own your soul, it is no longer yours, you are damned. I am damned."

"Please, Edward." Her eyes were pleading. "I love you."

Oh God, that she should say that now. To know that she loved me as well, made me want to hold her to me forever.

"I love you too, _mein Engelchen_, but I cannot."

"Edward, I want to be with you. In every way. Don't you want me?"

I pulled her close to me, maybe too hard. "I do want you, I do, but do not ask me to take your life away from you."

Against my neck, she whispered words against my skin which were my own truth:

"This life is nothing without you. You are my life now."

With those words, I knew what I must do.

I kissed her lips. "I love you. We are each other's forevermore."

My lips were at her cheek, her throat, and I pulled her close to me as my nose caressed that pulsing flesh.

Again, I opened her neck, but this time, it was so that my venom could steal into her blood stream. I drank from her, for the last time, and sealed the wound.

She cried out, her whole body tensing against me, as the venom hit her system.

The change was excruciating, but she would survive. She would be more than perfection.

She would be mine.

She screamed, and I tried to quiet her.

It was to my dismay though, as a maid suddenly let herself into the room, and gasped. She turned and fled through the doorway.

"Wait!"

But the maid was already down the hall, screaming for my host. With inhuman speed, I dressed.

I wanted to carry her away with me, but knew I would risk being exposed, as sunlight dappled through the curtains now.

I would have to hide in the sewers until evening, and then make my way back to Bella, _mein Engelchen_.

Kissing her lips, I made a hasty exit out of her window.

+IB+

BPOV

It was three days later that I opened my eyes, my new eyes, to a world that was entirely new to me.

On the nightstand sat a note, I recognized the handwriting and quickly opened it.

_Mein Engelchen, _

_My thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you. Yes, unhappily it must be so - You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves. And yet my life in V is now a wretched life - Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men - At my age I need a steady, quiet life - can that be so in our connection? My angel, - Be calm, only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together - Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved._

_ever thine  
__ever mine  
__ever ours_

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_A/N_

_JSYK. Not all of this fic will take place in the past. _

_Thanks for reading!_

PS: Some awesome writers have entered into the pick a pic challenge. Go over and have a read, and make sure you vote! I beta'd for **luckyirishtart**, who has written something with a lot of potential for continuing.

My pre-reader **snshyne** has also put forth an awesome entry, as well as the winning bidder for the above chapter, **Randommama**.

Link below for voting!

www(DOT)kwiksurveys(DOT)?surveyID=HCKOOK_eca6d528


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**Thanks to my ficwife Lambcullen, my beta TwilightMomofTwo, and my lovely prereader Snshyne.**

**dragă **is a Romanian term of endearment. jsyk.

* * *

_Present Day._

BPOV

An eagle cried overhead, and I located it circling in the sky above me, before descending towards the earth. Its talons were ready as it went in for the kill.

The sun continued to beat down, and I waited, still and silent. In the far distance, I could hear footsteps that moved too quickly for any human's.

I was not afraid to do this alone, but having back up never hurt, either.

"You will not stand alone, _dragă _Bella." The softly accented growl of his voice broke the silence.

I continued to stare at the horizon as he took a place beside me. "It's good to know, Stefan. And Vlad?"

"Running behind. He is guiding the others."

"Excellent."

"Your thirst for vengeance is inspiring, young one."

A hint of a smile lifted a corner of my mouth, "It's not so much vengeance, but revolution."

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**A/N**

**Next chapter is almost done. Will post as soon as it's ready. **

**Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**It's been awhile since I updated this, thank you for being so patient. This fic is a bit of a side project for when my main fic gets too fluffy for me.**

**Thanks as always to my amazing ficwife lambcullen, my patient beta TwilightMomofTwo, and the fabulous snshyne for prereading.**

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_Constanta, Romania 1872_

BPOV

I remember the first time I found him again, after they took him.

We crossed paths quite suddenly. It was an autumnal evening, and for humans, the weather had turned very cold. I was down an alleyway, lurking in a quiet corner, waiting for some unlikely human to separate itself from the safety of the main road.

I didn't have long to wait. A young man, no more than twenty summers walked swiftly towards the corner where I crouched. I licked my lips as hunger burned in my throat. It looked as though he was going to urinate against the building. Before his hands finished unfastening his breaches, I was upon him.

Making quick work of his throat, I fed until I was full. He tasted of spice and tobacco, and a slight hint of alcohol. I snapped his neck, and laid him in my previously occupied corner, out of the way. Before I left him, I picked through his pockets, and found a large amount of money on his person.

Wiping my mouth, I straightened the bodice of my gown, while hiding the money between my breasts. Pulling the hood up of my cloak, the heavy fabric fell around me, dark as the night time sky above. Just as I exited onto the quietly lit street, it hit me. A waft of that achingly familiar smell.

_Edward. _

His smell, it was something I would never forget; it was uniquely him. It whispered through the air, like an old song almost forgotten.

It had to be a trick, a memory, haunting me. I shook my head, and for a moment, I tried to tamp down the urge to follow the elusive trail. I had imagined this so many times, somehow finding him. I was never successful, trails went cold, and I had lost contact with most of the connections Edward had.

I inhaled again, and this time his scent filled me, completely. Making a snap decision, I followed it, my nose leading me, my senses on alert. Instinct told me this was an actual fresh trail. I knew he was close, but I wasn't sure if he had come alone. Sniffing the air lightly, I detected no other vampires with him.

I rounded the corner, and the light from late night pubs and brothels lit the streets. My immortal eyes, sharper than any human's, scanned the street in front of me. Angry shouts and drunken laughter filled the air, mingling with the stench of unwashed humanity. The lamps on the streets lent their flickering glow to the scene, making some of the shadows seem sinister.

My eyes caught on a small movement to my left. There, briefly passing in front of a window before slipping inside a door, a flash of Edward's distinctive hair. That color was uniquely his: bronze with shades of auburn and blonde mingled in. Longing filled me, and I nearly gave myself away, nearly ran at a speed too fast for a human to travel to the door he had just disappeared behind.

I forced myself to walk forward at a human speed, rather than run. It was a great effort to move so slowly, when I knew he was so near. The anticipation built inside me as I drew closer to the door. So many heartbeats pumped loudly around me, growing louder until I reached the door and entered.

I picked his scent out of the crowd, ignoring the walking meat around me.

He sat in a corner, an untouched drink in front of him. His eyes were downcast on his devastatingly handsome face. Dark circles appeared under them, and I watched as he shook his head in answer to the offer a buxom woman whispered in his ear.

A tremor moved through me, fissuring open the crack in my chest that had almost closed over since he had gone.

I hung back, fighting the desperate urge to launch myself at him. I knew that might be a mistake. Those who had taken him before may be watching, and causing a scene in a crowded pub would not do well.

So I turned back to the bar, and kept an eye on him out of the corner of my eye. I wondered if he felt the pulse between us in the room, if he knew I was near, and held back as well. I saw him briefly look in my direction as his eyes traveled the room. They stopped, and then darted back to me.

Oh, how my body stilled. How every hardened predator muscle and instinct melted, and I was existing only to live in his eyes. Drawn forward, my feet barely touched the ground, and I tried to remember to move at a human pace.

My hood was still up, and a chorus of male laughter erupted around me, as I squeezed past a small group. At his table now, I sat in the vacant wooden chair across form him, with my back to the room. Slowly, I lowered my hood, and pushed my cloak back. His eyes moved over me, taking in every detail, rememorizing them.

"Your eyes…" he said, as he looked into mine. I knew they would be different from the last time he saw them. They had been the soft gold of a sunset, and now, they were red as a blood ruby. A lot about me had changed, out of necessity. The golden look, that had come from only eating animals, and denying the delights of human flesh was long gone from my face. I no longer denied, I accepted…and as the years had gone by, had let go of the girl I had been. Sometimes, upon catching my reflection, I wondered if I would ever see her again.

"Edward." I reached out, and my hand found his cheek. I caressed his perfect, cool skin, and he closed his eyes. His face turned away from my hand.

"You should not be here," he whispered.

"Why?"

"Because I should be on my own. I don't want you caught up with _them_." His voice was soft, his eyes pleading.

"Come with me, Edward. Run away with me, now. From this place, from this country. I've heard you can buy your way onto a ship bound for the Americas. We can hide there, and never look back."

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes closed. "They'll find me. They have ways of finding you if you run." His tone was defeated. "We will be looking over our shoulders forever. That's no life for you." His eyes slid back to mine.

I reached for his hand, but he pulled it back. My brows knit together as I looked at him. "Who are they? Why do they want you?"

"I cannot tell you. If I did, they would either capture you or kill you. You shouldn't know more than you already do."

"I don't know anything!" I protested.

His eyes looked deep into mine. "It is best kept that way, then."

I took his hands. "Please, Edward…I'll do anything for you. I miss you. I love you."

He squeezed my fingers, and for a moment those haunted shadows disappeared. "I know, _mein Engelchen. _I know."

The old term of endearment that I hadn't heard uttered in over two decades crashed into me. A dry sob heaved up my throat at the hopeless situation. His face completely melted, and the façade he wore was replaced with a broken image of the Edward I had known.

"Shh, do not cry. It will be alright. Let me take you somewhere, we are drawing a few looks." He looked over my shoulder to the crowded room.

I stood when he did, and he found a back exit that spilled into a dank deserted alleyway. His hand never left mine, and the door shut behind us. We may have been alone, but surrounding us were hundreds of heartbeats, filling the silent cracks where our own hearts were.

"Please, Edward," I begged.

He turned on me, and his dark eyes were angry. "Bella. We cannot."

"Why?"

His face was earnest now, his eyes sharply boring into mine. "Because, the ones who took me? I am part of their…family now, their coven. And they are one of the most powerful covens in Europe, maybe even the world. And I must do as they bid."

I shook my head. "And they bid you to stay away from me?"

The hand on my arm let go. "No. I am here on an errand I must see through to the end."

I looked into his serious face, and knew that I had lost. I looked down in defeat.

"So this is it? I'm to be alone from here until God only knows when?"

His fingers caressed my face. "Don't think so far into the future. Things may change."

I closed my eyes for a moment, and then opened them. A footstep sounded down the alley, and he looked up.

"I must go. Don't be sad, _mein Engelchen_, we'll be together again, someday."

And he was gone, disappearing around the corner. I wanted to go after him, but the door to the pub suddenly opened, and a group of men spilled out.

"Well, what do we have here?"

A hand grabbed my shoulder, and turned me around. I stared up into the drunken eyes of the large mortal. He was much taller than me, and his chin was covered in a week's worth of stubble. He smelled as if he hadn't washed in several months, but his heart pumped a wealth of blood mixed with the local drink.

"Nothing you want."

A grubby hand touched my cool cheek. "Pretty…"

I grabbed the hand, and squeezed enough to stress the bones. "Walk away."

The men behind him jeered him on, but I squeezed harder, listening as the knuckles cracked, and the bones protested under the pressure. His face screwed up in pain, and he was failing at hiding his reaction.

"If you wish to keep this, I suggest you seek your pleasures elsewhere." I smiled ferociously at him, showing all my teeth.

Finally, he nodded, and I released his hand. He rubbed it, and his eyes narrowed at me before squeezing through the crowd behind him, away from me.

I looked back towards where Edward had disappeared. His scent called to me, and I followed it. I moved quickly, knowing he was close. I couldn't let him slip away, not after all this time.

I caught up with him at the train station, and watched him disappear into one of the cars. Not wanting him to see me following him, I stayed downwind and made my way along the back of the cars, and then stayed hidden amongst a crowd of people.

Pulling out some of the money I had taken earlier from the young man, I hoped it was enough to buy a ticket onto the train. I brought the hood of my cloak up, and stood in the line to purchase my ticket, before and boarding the train. Keeping my cloak wrapped around me, I found an empty carriage near the back.

Immortals, vampires, were easy to detect. There were no heartbeats that tattooed in time with their footfalls, they did not fidget, and they did not move the way humans did. They also smelled incredibly different from humans.

Humans were dumb, they did not see what was right in front of them until it was too late.

I realized it would not take long for Edward to deduce he was being followed, but I hoped he would not know it was me. The train left the station, and the soft chug of the engine led the train over the tracks. I wondered what Edward was doing, where he was going, and what had brought him to Romania. Had he been looking for me?

I had tried to look for him when he was taken from me, but being so new, I wasn't quite sure how to trust my instincts.

Time marched, and the hours rolled on as the sun climbed into the sky. I pulled my cloak tighter around me, and shrank into the corner of the seat I was in. While the sun was not harmful, it produced a startling effect on my skin that most humans would not be able to comprehend.

Edward's words from so long ago whispered back to me:

_We must stay hidden, we are not human, but it is possible to blend with them if we are careful. _

The train stopped, and as my eyes glanced out the windows, I noted a flash bronze hair. Edward had run past my car, and if I had blinked, I would have missed him.

Rising slowly was painful, and moving at a human pace off the car was worse. The area around the train station was heavily wooded, and Edward's trail led into the dense forest.

I followed behind him, and wondered if he knew I was stalking him.

I followed him for a few hours, until the sun started to set. It was an eerie glow before finally disappearing from the sky. A hunter's moon followed behind it, as we climbed higher and higher into the mountains.

Edward's scent suddenly took an odd turn, and I was wondering if he knew where he was going. It was as if he had doubled back on himself.

"You have made a grave mistake in following me." His tone was cool, and was unlike anything I had ever heard from him.

I stopped, and looked around me, but I could not tell where his voice was coming from.

"Edward-"

"They will kill you if they find you anywhere near me."

"But-"

He stepped into view, his movement drawing my eyes, a pale ghost in the gloom. Every line of his body, every angle in his face, every emotion in his eyes were the answer to every question my errant soul had ever asked.

"They are bigger than this, bigger than you or me, _mein Engelchen_."

He was so close now, if I reached out, I would touch him. He took another step, and there was barely room for air between us. Moonlight illuminated his handsome features. Unable to resist, he raised his hand, and I closed my eyes for a moment as his fingers caressed over my cheekbone.

"You are so beautiful. My memories do you no justice," he murmured.

All of me quivered, as a bow that had suddenly been released, and my body hummed with the vibration his nearness caused.

I licked my lips, and he bent down to sweetly press his lips to mine. I inhaled his scent, undiluted, it filled my lungs. I wanted more of him inside me. I wanted him wrapped around me, and me around him.

I wanted.

The soft kiss was not enough for either of us, and we desperately grabbed for one another. Where the first touch was soft and gentle, the touches that followed were rough and needy.

We devoured, we groaned at tastes and sensations that had haunted us both in the time spent apart. I pulled at his shirt, as he ripped my cloak away. We fell to the ground, and my skirts were hiked up to my hips. I was wild, and so was he, as he ripped my undergarments from me, and I clawed at the opening to his trousers.

His growl filled my ear as he plunged deep inside me, and I moaned at the fullness I had been missing for so long.

His hips pumped wildly, and I met him, thrust for thrust. All the anger and hurt at his absence poured into the roughness of rhythm, and I could feel the long dead throb of my body responding to the power of his.

He was lethal, he was lust, and I nearly screamed as I felt the world shatter around me.

As we lay tangled on the forest floor, his lips moved, and his words washed over my skin. I had missed this, missed him, missed feeling a part of someone else. Being alone had its advantages, but it was often outweighed by the loneliness, and the longing I had for Edward.

"I miss you," I whispered.

"I miss you, too."

And even though his hands were on my skin, and his face at my throat, I was sad. I knew this would not last. I knew he would move away slowly, and like a setting sun, take all of the reminders of himself with him. His clothes would straighten, his eyes would meet mine for another last time. His fingers would slip from my fingers, and I would stare at his back as he moved farther away from me.

"Why, Edward?"

"Because I have lost myself to them, I won't lose you as well. Do not follow me, Bella. It could be your death."

"I am starting to wonder if it would be better being dead."

He shook his head at me, trying to negate my statement. "Do not say that. Sometimes, knowing you are still somewhere is all that keeps me going."

Irrational anger washed through me. Why couldn't he fight them?

"You can't force me not to follow you, Edward. Existing without you is no existence."

He turned around, and the distance he had traveled was erased as he ran back to me at inhuman speed.

"You must not." He took my face in his hands, and his grip was almost painful. His words lashed into me like a whip, finding the vulnerable places. "You will leave here and forget you ever saw me. I don't want you to follow me, I don't want you near me. I don't need anymore witnesses to what I have become."

There was a noise, and we both looked in its direction.

"Good bye, _mein Engelchen."_

And he was gone, and I was too heartbroken to follow.

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**A/N**

**Thank you for reading. **

**Next update should be within the week as the next chapter is nearly done. **


	5. Chapter 5

_Present Day_

BPOV

I instinctively scrunched my nose at the smell that was carried forward on the breeze. Vlad must be getting close.

"How many did he bring?" I asked Stefan.

"As many as we could convince to join us."

"It's a full moon tonight." I glanced at the midday sun, and mentally calculated how much longer it would be until they joined us.

"There would be no point in them being here without it."

"Indeed."

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A/N

Thanks for reading. The format for this story will be pretty much like this. Jsyk.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**Thanks to my ficwife Lambie, my beta TwilightMomofTwo, and my prereader snshyne.**

**They do amazing things to make my words presentable. I would be lost without them.**

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_Romania, Somewhere near the Carpathian Mountains, 1872_

BPOV

I lingered in the forest for a while. I could feel eyes watching me, and following me where I wandered. But when I looked around, trying to identify if there was someone there, I could not see anyone. It was an eerie feeling, and I felt unsettled as I continued on. Half tracking Edward, half lost, I soon found myself hiking up steeper inclines, and into the mountains. The moon came out from behind the midnight clouds, and in the far distance, I made out the craggy ramparts of a large crumbling fortress.

Curious, I started towards it, and as I drew closer, I noted that there were was an odd silence in the surrounding forest. It was as if the small nocturnal creatures that should be about their evening's work were totally non-existent. There was also a strange smell in the forest, unlike any other animal. It was a horrible odor and made my lip curl.

The tree line ended in about fifty feet, and as I took a step forward, hands grabbed me from behind. I grunted, and fought against my attacker, but he was much stronger than me.

A heavily accented voice rasped in my ear. "Easy, now little one. You must be very young. You are like a kitten, weak but spirited." The sound of the voice was like crackling leaves, as if it had been in use for hundreds of years.

"Let me go!"

The voice tsked in my ear. "Why are you snooping outside of my home? We do not often get visitors. My brother and I would love to meet you."

"I will not go!"

"But you will. You are very pretty, young one."

I started to struggle again, but he held me to his broad expanse of stone cold chest. "I will fight you-"

"It will do you no good. You will lose, and probably lose a limb or your life. And you are too pretty for tearing to shreds." I struggled against him, but he squeezed me until I could feel a pressure starting to build, as if at any point, my body would explode. I relaxed, and my head hung in defeat.

"There now. That's better."

And he all but flew from the trees, with me captured in his arms. The steep wall of the fortress loomed in front of us, and he neatly ran up the side, as if there was nothing holding him to the earth but his own will.

He leaped over the edge of the ramparts, and landed safely on the stone flooring. His hand settled around my throat, and led me along to a small stone staircase. We descended into a darkened hallway.

Strange voices floated up to me, and at the sound of one in particular, I tensed, causing my captor to squeeze my throat. His greater strength dominated me, and I forced myself to relax. He continued to lead me further into the bowels of the old musty castle; each hallway seemed darker than the last. We rounded a corner, and at the end of that hallway, an orange glow of flames cast shadows upon the walls. The voices were louder, and the conversation drifted to my ears.

"You think we don't know who you are?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." _Edward. _

"You are a Volturi spy, are you not? And no doubt you carry some sort of ability to aid you. Tell me, does Aro still rule, or has one of his brothers done me a favor and killed him for his arrogance?"

"I can assure you, I don't know what you are speaking of."

There was a soft sinister chuckle. "Very well. We shall play this delightful game. But you are a stranger in our home, and we would not refuse you every one of our humble hospitalities. Ah! I can hear Vlad approaching. And he is not alone."

Descending the stairs, my captor held me to him with his other arm, the way a child held a toy close.

"Look what I have found, brother."

I blinked at the scene before me. A large table had been set for dinner, but there was no food, only a large decanter, which my nose told me was full of blood. A wine goblet sat in front of Edward, who looked cold and indifferent in his chair.

The other vampire was short in stature, with dark hair clubbed back at the nape of his neck. His clothes looked like they had been of rich quality at some point but had grown old and into disrepair. His eyes were a dark burgundy, and his skin was white as snow.

He smiled, but it did not quite reach his eyes. His face seemed lean, and his eyes were calculating, missing nothing.

"And who is this you have brought to our table, Vladimir?"

The decoration of the room was the same state as the other vampire's clothing. It had probably been of rich quality at one point, it was tattered and dusty through age and neglect.

"Found her lost in the woods outside."

Vladimir's brother studied me, from the top of my head, to the curves of my body, and down to my feet, which dangled above the floor.

"Put her down, Vlad, and let us see if she can stand on her own two feet." He raised a dark brow in challenge at me, and I landed on the ground with catlike grace.

I looked back at my captor, who was the exact opposite of his brother. Tall and broad, with a flash of white blond hair. The only similarity between them was their sneer, the burgundy eyes, and the same odd look to their clothes.

"Come closer, my dear. Come and let us see you!"

I moved forward cautiously, and my eyes darted from the dark haired vampire to Edward, who sat stoically at the table, his expression impassive.

"I am Stefan Draculesti, and of course, you have met my brother. Welcome to our home. We have not had a woman here since…?" He looked at Vlad and smiled cruelly, before continuing. "Yes, not since poor dear Didyme." His mouth screwed up in a horrible sneer, and I heard Vlad chuckle darkly behind me.

"You are very pretty. Do you have a name, young one?"

"Bella." I answered, and my voice seemed to bounce off the brick around us.

"Excellent. Bella, why don't you have a seat across from handsome Mr. Cullen, and we shall all have a nice chat about why you have been lurking in our woods."

I sat down in an empty wooden chair, across from Edward. He did not look at me.

Stefan sat down at the head of the table, in a high backed chair. Vlad sat at the other end.

Stefan poured a goblet of blood, and passed it to me. "You can imagine we don't have many visitors here. So it is rather suspect that not one, but two immortals grace us with their presence. One I know as a Volturi spy, and the other, I'm not so sure."

"I am merely wandering." I answered.

Stefan's eyes flickered to Vlad's before moving back to me.

"Strange, to be wandering so far from natural prey. You will not find much to eat in these mountains. And the gypsies will spot you and attempt to set you alight the first chance they get."

I shuddered, remembering Edward's words about fire, so long ago.

_We can be ripped to shreds, and the pieces burned, our ashes scattered to the wind. _

A haunting cry filled the night, piercing the air. Stefan smiled grimly, "Ah, the Children. What music they make, the Children of the Moon."

My face must have shown my puzzlement.

"Werewolves, my dear."

I detected the tiniest of movement from Edward, and my eyes moved to him and back again to Stefan's face. The movement did not go unnoticed, and Stefan's attention turned back to Edward.

"Ah yes, and the Volturi have quite the morbid fascination with the Children of the Moon, do they not? I believe Caius in particular, if I'm correct."

A pregnant silence filled the room, while Edward remained impassive to Stefan's probing.

Stefan pouted. "No matter, no matter. That topic would certainly not interest you, would it, you filthy spy?"

Edward moved not even a muscle this time. I tried to hide the anger in my eyes at the way he spoke to Edward. I imagined tearing his ancient eyes from his face.

Stefan turned back to me, his gaze missing nothing.

"Tell me, where do you come from, originally?"

"Vienna."

"Ah, Vienna. Such a charming city. Beautiful music blossomed there."

My throat caught, remembering the beautiful music of a beautiful pianist, from so long ago.

"And so, you are still quite young, aren't you? Not even a century, I would surmise?"

I looked from Vlad, to Edward, and back to Stefan before answering. I wished I knew what Edward was thinking.

"I will be ninety this year."

"How utterly delightful. Ah, youth. So much world to explore yet, it is a shame we shall have to kill you for trespassing."

"What?"

Stefan's face became sinister. "Yes, my dear. We do not take kindly to strangers. We trust no one. You see how grand we live here. There is a reason for that. And if the Volturi continue to send spies, we will continue to execute any we find on our borders."

I rose from my chair, not caring if the gesture was rude. "I will not just sit here and speak so blasé about my death. I am already dead anyways, nothing you threaten me with has any meaning."

"Oh? How so? You have been granted the gift of immortality, surely you are not so near death?"

"The one who changed me, he was…I loved him, and I thought he loved me." I tried to keep my eyes from Edward, wondering if the words sliced him as they re-opened wounds for me. "But one night he was cruelly taken from me, and I was forced to wander alone. I have no way of getting him back, I am alone in this world."

"I see, my dear. The mate bond is very strong, I can understand your desolation." Stefan's tone turned mocking. "Who took your love away?"

I looked around the table again, and when I briefly glanced at Edward, he was staring down at the table, his jaw locked.

"I-I believe it was the Volturi who took him."

I looked at Edward, to see if he would react, but there was nothing from him but stony silence.

Stefan smiled at me. "It would appear we have a common enemy, young one. Perhaps you would delight in torturing some information out of Mr. Cullen."

Vlad finally spoke up, his raspy voice and steely gaze unnerving.

"Let's have done with this, Stefan. I do not wish to hear anymore of their lies. Let's kill them both and be done with it."

Stefan met Vlad's gaze. "I'm not totally convinced the spy is alone, and I don't think the Volturi would send this," he gestured towards me, "as a back up for him."

There was another pause, and Stefan took a brief sip of the glass in front of him. Licking his lips, he gazed from me to Edward.

"We shall see this farce to the finish. I am curious to see what tricks young Edward has up his sleeve, or what message he has to deliver."

"And the girl?"

Stefan's eyes stared into mine. "I like her. Keep her for now. Show her to a room where she can clean herself up."

Vlad stood, and took my arm, leading me out of the room, back towards the staircase we had entered from. I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder at Edward.

+IB+

I was shown a room, and a dark haired girl with exotic eyes had filled a bath tub for me. She avoided my gaze, and shuddered back from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her cross herself, before leaving. Undressing, I luxuriated in the bath, wondering why Stefan and Vlad had decided not to kill me.

And I digested the information I had learned about Edward.

A spy? He was a spy for some coven called the Volturi? They must have been the ones who took him. Dread weighted through me, knowing I would not be able to take on a whole coven on my own. And Edward would not be able to leave them easily if they wanted him so badly.

The exotic human girl returned for my clothes, and they were taken away. She left a robe in exchange, and I slipped it on. There was a window in my room, and I strode over to it to see whether I could escape.

A howl filled the night, and I observed it was a very long deep drop to the ground. In the darkness, a flash of movement caught my eye, but I could not make out what it was. I remembered Stefan's warning, and decided that the fall would not be worth it, and defending myself against whatever haunted those woods.

Hours melted into a day, and the days flowed into weeks. I paced in between bouts of quiet stillness. I tried to listen for Edward's voice, wondering if he was still here. If he was…alive.

I suppressed that thought. Surely I would have felt it if he no longer existed. I would have heard something.

At night the wild howls continued, filling the bitter night air. They seemed to be getting louder, as if there were more of the animals, and they chorused together, a haunting lament.

A week later, the sun was setting behind the clouds, and a strange mist covered the tops of the trees. Something was off, and I pressed my ear to the door, wondering what was going on within the castle. Voices suddenly grew louder, Stefan was arguing with someone, and then a loud crash, and what sounded like the beginnings of a fight. Feral vampire snarls filled the air, but I could not discern if any of them were Edward.

What if he were in trouble? If he were hurt? If Stefan and Vladimir had decided to kill him?

I ran to the door and flung it wide. Smoke slithered into the room, but I ran forward, not caring for my own safety.

I found my way to the great hall, and when I arrived, the room was filling with flames and smoke, the heat pulling the breath from my lungs. Vladimir and Stefan were backed up toward the fireplace, and a slew of vampires moved around the room like horrible dark shadows. Fire licked out of the fireplace, burning the tattered decorations.

Stefan was hissing curses at one vampire in particular. "You will never leave this room should you harm my brother or me. Why don't you and your arrogance go back to Italy, where the rest of your scum hide like the cowards you are. You send your spies! You think you keep watch on us? You have no idea."

The vampire he was nearly spitting on stepped forward. His black gloved hands lowering a hood to reveal a head covered in icy blond hair.

"Stefan, one of these days your mouth will cost you more than your pitiful existence is worth." The voice was a low sinister snarl I recognized, and it sent a violent tremor through me. My mind flashed back to that terrible night when Edward was taken from me.

"_Secure that one. It's only Cullen that we want. Kill her if you must."_

Oh yes. That was a voice I would never forget.

A feral growl rumbled in my chest, and I crouched, measuring him. Stefan's eyes glanced towards the stairs, and he spotted me, his mouth smiling cruelly. At that point I neither cared for life or death. I only wanted the sweet taste of retribution for that which was stolen from me.

I sprang, and landed lightly on the blonde vampire's back. He snarled as I attempted to rip his head from his body. His hands clamped around me, and tried to tear me from his back. I wrapped my legs around him, securing my hold as tried to bite him. He fell backwards, trying to knock me off of him.

Other vampires attempted to come to the blond vampire's aid, but we were a mass of fists and limbs, moving across the room in a tangle. I went for his throat, but he flinched back.

Then, a sound that stilled my opponent, pierced through the air, a keening howl that sent shivers down my spine. The sound gave me a second of hesitation long enough for me to bite his throat. He screamed as my venom sank into his skin.

"You have awakened them! The Children know their master!" Stefan screamed triumphantly.

I went to tear more into my opponent's throat, but I was pulled away from him. I screamed in outrage, fighting whoever held me, strong arms wrapped around me and a voice I knew well spoke in my ear.

"Bella! Bella, stop! It's me! It's Edward!"

"Edward?"

I stilled immediately, but the bloodlust still ran powerfully through me. My useless lungs heaved, more out of habit, and I felt my nipples pucker at Edward's hands on my body.

"Yes. Believe me, it is not worth killing that one."

I turned in his arms, to look into his eyes, and he smiled sadly at me, brushing a lock of hair from my face. Around us the fire and the fight raged on.

"But he-but he took you away from me."

"Shh! You will live beyond this, and we will be together soon."

"Edward!" Someone else called his name.

"I must go. They are retreating, and if I do not go with them, it will be my death. You are safe here, Stefan and Vladimir mean you no harm. It is me and the Volturi they hate."

He released me, and started to go. I caught up with him before he followed those horrible black shadowed vampires.

"Edward. When will I see you again? Where are you going?"

He kissed me, softly, across the mouth, but it was not enough. He pulled me into his arms, and if I could cry, if tears were possible, they would have been streaming down my face. His lips met mine, and they said goodbye without having uttered the words. It started out soft, but turned to a harsh promise, his tongue sweeping my mouth before pulling back.

"I love you, Edward."

"As I love you, _mein Engelchen_."

And he was gone, a mere whisper on the wind behind him. Those hideous howls continued to echo around the castle. Vladimir and Stefan were not in the room when I turned around, only the large raging fire burning around me.

The flames licked over the stone, chancing their heat against the cool brick. But it remained impermeable. My fingers graced over my lips, and I wondered when would be the next time I would feel his kiss.

+IB+

I spent nearly a decade of my life with Vlad and Stefan. In that time, I learned so much from them, and they grew fond of me, treating me like a daughter. They were incredibly embittered at their lot, but enjoyed passing on their knowledge of the Volturi to me.

The Volturi had usurped the Romanians from power several centuries ago. They explained how Vlad had been a mighty warlord at the time, and that this castle had once been a grand fortress that had brought armies to their knees. The Volturi had amassed a small army of vampires with abilities that had made them formidable.

They also taught me about the wolves, and how they had reached an agreement with them. They had a common enemy in the Volturi, which unified them. Vlad had explained to me, while we walked through the forest on my way for my first introduction with the wolves, that werewolves and vampires are natural enemies.

The wolves respected Vlad and Stefan enough not to hunt them, and Vlad and Stefan understood that the wolves could be a very powerful ally, should the time ever arise.

Several more times they intercepted spies that had been sent, but it was never Edward. And I never saw the blond vampire, who I later learned was called Caius, ever again.

* * *

**A/N**

**Thank you for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**Been awhile since I updated this. Longer chapter on the way. Thanks to Lambie, TwilightMomofTwo, and Snshyne for all that they do and all that they are.**

* * *

_Present Day_

Stefan and Vlad greeted each other, as brothers do. And then Vlad turned to me, and rather than the cold distance that Stefan maintained with everyone, Vlad was the first to move towards me, pulling me to him. He was still just as huge as I remembered, and I put my arms around him, greeting him as the brother I never had.

"It is good to see you again, _dragă_ Bella."

When he put me down, I flashed him a rare smile. "It's good to see you too, Vlad. You reek of wolf, by the way."

He laughed loudly. "They are eager for the fight…it has been a long time coming."

I nodded. "Too long."

He looked over the horizon and then back at me. "Will there be others?"

"Yes, you weren't the only ones I contacted. I hope that's not a problem."

Vlad shook his head and rubbed his hands together, grinning. "The more numbers the better."

I turned my gaze back to the horizon. "The Volturi are not the only ones who have many friends with abilities."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to my ficwife, Lambie, my beta TwilightMomofTwo, and snshyne.**

**Special thanks to nicoconsd for pinch-hitting and pre-reading!**

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1882

After my time with the Volturi, I traveled back to Vienna. There, rather than signs of my old life, I found it dead and withering in the graveyard. My family, forever immortalized in a different kind of stone. They had died of human things I would never experience: disease, physical ailments. I learned from an older gentleman at an inn that my father had apparently died of a broken heart, his anxiety over my disappearance never dissipating.

I had only returned to Vienna once before, after Edward was taken. I had come back, hoping to find something, anything, to attach myself to. I realized it was a painful mistake. Seeing my parents, but not being able to go to them was almost as wrenching as when I'd lost Edward.

I had watched them from a distance, looking into their windows like a thief. When night approached, I had gave up my post across the street, and flitted to the backyard. There was a loose stone in a far quiet corner near the wall, where I used to hide keepsakes as a child. That night, I hid a box underneath the stone, and covered it with dirt.

Almost fifty years later, I came back to dig up the old memories underneath that stone. Finding it again was easy, and I carefully exhumed the aging wood. Lifting the lid, I reverently touched the contents inside. The pictures of family brought back fuzzy human memories. My father was so handsome, and my mother seemed so happy in the copper plated photo. I continued to pull out small keepsakes: a set of my mother's ruby earrings she had once lent me, as well as a ring that my parents had given to me for my sixteenth birthday. The last thing was a small lock of my mother's hair.

Even after all these years, I could smell her.

There was also some money I had put in the box, the large sum bundled together and hidden in the false bottom.

Taking the items, I put the ring on, and the earrings. I felt like a grave robber, rifling through my own grave.

Replacing the stone, I turned and stared at the place that I had once called home. I studied the aging townhouse, wondering if there was anyway to approach the current owner to buy it. I had some money saved up from my travels as well, and in the hope of somehow making the acquisition, inquired through a solicitor.

The solicitor questioned my interest, and I explained I was the granddaughter of the previous owner. He grew rather excited, and explained that the house was being held while an heir was found. I produced a picture of my 'mother' and her father, and he exclaimed the resemblance was remarkable. I smiled slightly, glad that my cheeks no longer flamed with blush when I lied.

Within a matter of three days, the house was mine. I opened a bank account, and employed the solicitor to maintain the property, and lease it to tenants.

I said good bye to the remnants of myself in Vienna and made arrangements to travel to America.

+IB+

_Six months later_

The shout for land had been given, and a crowd gathered on the bow of the boat, attempting to see through the foggy gray of the day.

I joined them from below the decks, pulling my hood up over my head, shielding my face from them.

My sight, more acute than human eyes, picked out what appeared to be a mass of land far off in the distance.

_America. _

This would be my new home, and I felt a small jubilation at the potential of a new beginning. I hoped to leave behind all my ties to my old life, both human and immortal, and start off in this new world.

My fellow passengers had given me no trouble, and I had stuck to below, keeping to myself. People seemed to sense something was different about me, and I once saw an older woman cross herself when she passed me.

The smell of the ship was…overwhelming at times. I fought very hard to not feed on the passengers, and as they starved, so did I. And when they took to eating the rats, so did I. However, while they cooked the vermin, I snatched them raw, and drained them.

It was disgusting, but it was an achievement I was proud of. My hand went to the pocket inside my cloak, and I caressed the edges of the papers that would grant me entry.

It was early morning when we docked, and by late afternoon, I was an American citizen.

I inhaled the air, and it seemed alive with opportunity. The city around me was bustling and dirty, but I knew what I wanted. West, where I could get lost in the wild untamed land.

+IB+

1889

Frontier life was quiet and peaceful. I had managed to make a small home for myself on the very outskirts of a small new town that had sprung up out of nowhere.

The only reason why I stayed close to civilization was to receive the wire messages from my solicitor for the small string of properties I now owned and leased out in Vienna.

I was left alone, for the most part. People were curious of me, but I only came out at twilight, and always at the same time and day. I paid the solicitor handsomely to keep those hours, and he seemed happy enough to deal with me so long as he could line his pockets.

Word around town was that I was a rich widow who mourned her husband quietly. This suited me, until I had a suitor at my door.

I had no need for human companionship, and the thought was disturbing. I had politely told him no, and the wilted flowers in his hand seemed to droop as he gaped at my face. They always reacted the same to me: the golden hue of my eyes, the perfection of my delicate features, the porcelain quality of my skin.

I had given up human blood; my weaning on the voyage over had helped. I noticed that my blazing red eyes had turned a lovely honey color, so like _his _eyes when I had first met him.

One evening, on my return from the lawyer's office, I noticed a man walking along the shop fronts that I had not seen in town before.

Strangers were not uncommon in the west, especially along trade and stage routes, but this one was different. This one did not have a heartbeat. His head turned in my direction, and he seemed to sense at the same time that I was different too.

He nodded at me, his dark eyes knowing. I returned his nod, a slight incline of my head. Friend or foe, I wasn't sure…but I had not met another vampire since Stefan and Vlad.

That evening, I sat by the fireside and read through the books I had shipped from the East coast. I could hear foot steps approaching, and I knew it was him. He wasn't trying to be secretive, and I took this as a sign that he was not exactly trying to sneak up on me. Still, I slowly put my book down, and stood, awaiting his arrival.

He rapped sharply at the door, three times, and I could smell him on the air. Opening the door, he stood tall in the doorway, my nose wrinkling at the smell of buckskin.

I cleared my throat as his dark eyes studied my face, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled my scent. I dropped the shawl I had wrapped around myself. My senses shivered, alert at the sight of this male who was more like me than the poor human who had come calling last week.

"Who are you?" I asked softly, my voice husky.

"My name is Garrett, ma'am. And you are?"

"Isabella."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." He held out his hand, and I delicately placed it in his. Rather than shaking it, as was done out West, he brought it to his lips in a gesture that was from another time.

"Please come in."

I stiffly moved out of the way as he ducked his head under the entrance and entered the small cabin that I called my home. Books lined every wall, and some of the light sketches I had done of animals in the forest.

"Do have a seat." I gestured towards the chairs that had been ordered from the Montgomery Ward catalogue. It was odd, having a visitor, no one had ever really shared this space with me.

I sat down in the opposite chair, and felt almost awkward in his presence. Was he older than me? Younger? His eyes were too dark to tell whether he fed on human or animal blood.

"I don't normally have guests."

"You don't sound like you've been around these parts for very long. I can hear a bit of…German in your accent?"

I pursed my lips. "Austrian."

He nodded, as he studied me. "You're not very old, are you, sugar?"

I bristled at the overly familiar term of endearment. "I am old enough. One shouldn't ask a lady her age, anyways. It's rude."

He sat up, smiling. "And one shouldn't instruct one's guests on what is polite and what ain't."

"What do you want?"

"Easy, now. It's just been a little while since I've seen a settled vampire, and with golden eyes as well. How'd you get them?"

"You ask a lot of questions, sir, for being so far West. It's a wonder your mouth has not landed you into trouble." I re-crossed my legs, ankle over other ankle.

He smiled, showing all of his teeth. "I can handle myself."

I tensed, sensing a shift in the mood of the room. His hungry eyes looked me over, and I wished for a moment that I was not wearing the human confines of a corset and dress.

Garrett noticed my weariness, and his smile grew bigger, his hungry eyes studying me as if I were his next meal. He sprung from his chair, upsetting it and landed on me. The force knocked us both backwards, and he leaned over me panting. His body covered mine, his knee between my legs.

"You're a pretty fine piece. Uppity, but pretty."

"If you value your existence, or your head, I would suggest you get off of me. Now."

"Hm. I don't think so. I get the feeling I've got a head start on you, age-wise. Which makes me stronger. And you don't smell like other vamps. Why is that? Is it to do with your golden eyes?"

I snarled at him, and he flinched away as I took a snap at him.

"Feisty little thing, ain't ya?" Abruptly, he straightened and then moved away from me. He righted me and the chair, and then picked up his own chair. Settling back down, I watched him warily now.

"You're all alone out here, I didn't come across any others' scents but yours."

I refused to confirm that for him.

"I'm sorry for forcing myself on you. I'll leave you be. It was nice meeting you, Miss…?"

"Cullen."

He bowed, and his eyes changed from mock sincerity to a deep sadness that looked familiar. It was the same look I sometimes caught in my own eyes. It welled deep and bottomless. A never-ending loneliness and longing for Edward that I tried to ignore, but it never truly went away.

"Wait. Won't you…sit down? Perhaps we are both lacking in simple civility. Please, it has been a long time since I have spoken to anyone of our…kind."

He nodded, and sat in the chair I offered him, the same one he had occupied before.

"Will you tell me about yourself?" I wondered what part of himself he had lost, to feel that wrenching loss I had seen.

He told me how he was changed in 1773. He had been celebrating the succession of a clever plan to upset the British occupation of the colonies by dumping a large shipment of tea from the East Indies into the Boston Harbor.

The following morning, while on his way home, he was accosted and he thought he was to be robbed of his possessions. But it wasn't money that his attacker was after.

When Garrett awoke three days later, he was in the middle of a dark forest, lost, and thirsty. He happened upon a horse and ride. He slaughtered them both.

We traded stories of our newborn days, and Garrett related how he had met Kate, who would later become his mate. She taught him what was right and wrong for Vampires, and how to keep his secret safe. Garrett explained that Kate had an ability like Edward. Only rather than being able to read minds, she could shock people who came into contact with her. Like being struck by lightning.

He continued with his story, of how they fell in love, and lived a quiet existence until they were paid a visit by a Vampire with ice blond hair.

"Kate knew who he was. He had come to collect her, stating she owed a debt and would need to make sure it was paid."

I sat up a little straighter at this. "Did he have several guards with him? Did they say the name Volturi at all?"

Garrett looked sharply at me. "Why? Do you know them? Are you one of them?"

I shook my head. "No! No, but they took from me, as you had taken from you."

Garrett's eyes narrowed, and he slammed his fist into his palm. "I have been trying to figure out for almost a century who they are. Where they are. We should go, tonight! The two of us together would be hard to stop-"

Again, I shook my head. "It's not so easy, Garrett. I've had one run in with them already. There are too many of them. They would kill us first." I quickly related my experiences with the Volturi, in Romania and Austria and the little I had found out about them while traveling through Europe.

"I know another immortal. Met him on my travels across the country, while I was trying to find Kate. He could probably help us. He's busy just now, in the wars."

I looked at him in confusion. "Wars?"

"There are wars for hunting territory going on near Mexico and the Southwest. Will you come with me? He has suffered the same loss as you and I. His mate, Alice, was taken as well."

"I don't know. I am settled here, and trying to leave the past behind me."

He was on the edge of the chair now. "Think about it. Think about him, your mate. What was his name?"

Saying his name out loud would reopen those wounds and acknowledge the gaping hole in my chest. But I could not look away from Garrett's dark hungry eyes.

"Edward." I whispered.

"And Edward, did you love him?"

"Yes."

"And did he love you?"

"Yes."

"Then what is stopping you?"

What was stopping me? Why had I given up on Edward?

Because it felt like he had given up on me.

But what if he hadn't? That last time…in Romania. He loved me, I could feel it. It was the Volturi that held him bound. If he did want to be with them, he would have discarded me.

Those last few moments with Edward replayed in my head

"…_if I do not go with them, it will be my death."_

_"I love you, Edward."_

_"As I love you, _mein Engelchen_."_

My eyes met Garrett's. "I will come with you, to meet your friend. What is his name?"

"Jasper Whitlock."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. **


	9. Chapter 9

A/N

Sorry I haven't updated this in forever. Life has been crazy for me this summer. For those still sticking around with this, thank you.

* * *

_Present Day_

The sounds of voracious snarling carried to us on the wind. Stefan and Vlad turned toward the noise.

"It's OK. It's just Garrett and Jasper."

Vlad tensed. "That does not sound like only two vampires."

"Why Vlad, what fun would this little party be without an army of newly made vampires?"

Stefan glanced at me, an evil grin settling across his face. "Why, Bella, you are a naughty girl. You should know these things are not allowed." He tsked at me.

"How else was I going to get the Volturi to make a little trip out here? Run around naked in a town square? I told them it was going to be a big party."

Vlad shifted restlessly. "I better check on the wolves in case they get the scent of too many vampires before the real guests arrive."

He took off, and I watched him go. From the opposite direction, Garrett appeared, running swiftly towards us.

"Well ain't this a pleasant how do you do? You're lookin' mighty fine since we last met, Bella."

"Flirtatious as ever, Garrett." I quickly made introductions between him and Stefan. Garrett expressed his awe of the older vampire and Stefan nodded regally at Garrett.

We were almost ready. Slowly, all of my chess pieces were moving into place.

* * *

Longer chapter will be up shortly. Thank you for reading.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

**Again, sorry for the update delays.**

**Thanks to my beta TwilightMomofTwo, my prereader snshyne, and my ficwife Lambie.**

* * *

The following morning, before the town awakened, I left a note for my solicitor, asking for an appointment in the evening. A few hours later he sent word with a passing farmer, confirming a time that was suitable. Garrett had left earlier, stating he would be back well after sundown.

That evening, I dressed in my widow's weeds and made my way into town. I could see an oil lamp burning through the window of Mr. Jenks' office. I knocked and then let myself in. The door closed behind me firmly, and Mr. Jenks nodded at a seat in front of his large wooden desk. His office, while small, was tidy and efficient, much like the small, balding man in front of me.

I sat down, folding my hands delicately in my lap. Straightening to my full height, I directed my unblinking gaze at Mr. Jenks, who squirmed uncomfortably.

"Mr. Jenks, I am going away for a short while and I am putting you in charge of my affairs during my absence. I will wire you from time to time if I should need anything. Please tell the solicitor in Austria to continue as normal."

He blinked and cleared his throat. "Wh-what if there is an emergency?"

I gentled my voice slightly. "Mr. Jenks, you seem like a competent man. I trust you and expect you to maintain this in your usual efficient fashion. Is that understood?"

The business edge to my voice returned, and I smiled as he nodded.

"Very well."

"If I could ask, where is it that you are traveling to?"

"Out West."

His eyes widened. "Mrs. Cullen, I must caution you! There are Indians in those wilds, and men of the evilest ilk out there. All manner of outlaws-

My voice was low as I answered. "I assure you I am more than capable of taking care of myself." Mr Jenks sat back in his chair, but it was not to relax, more to put as much distance from me to him.

I rose, signifying the conversation was over. Mr Jenks stood warily from his chair. "You may trust me completely, Mrs. Cullen. I shall look after your affairs while you're away."

"Thank you. I shall see myself out."

I made my way back to the cottage where Garrett was waiting for me. He had managed to procure a set of boys clothing for me. I went into the bedroom, and quickly removed my dress and corset. Finding a scarf, I bound my breasts so that my chest would seem flat and unappealing. The boys' clothing slid against my skin, the coarse material so unlike anything I had ever worn.

Not bothering with shoes I re-entered the living room. Turning to Garrett who looked at me with hunger in his eyes, I smirked at him.

"Lead the way."

We left, and I locked the door behind me. Stealthily making our way back into town, I slid the key under Mr Jenks' door. Just as quickly as we were there, we left. I looked back as we raced away from the little town I had settled in and made my home for the last few years. Seeing it fade away into the dark night filled me with an odd sense of sadness. It had been the first real home I'd had since Austria and even though I had kept to myself, having someplace that was mine, permanently was hard to let go of.

I sighed, but stretched out my stride, wondering if Garrett would be able to keep up. I had always been fast; the only person able to beat me was Edward. I heard Garrett fall behind me, but he steadily gained on me as we dodged trees and leaped small streams. The forest thinned and eventually gave way to open plain. Clouds covered the sky as we ran, passing wildlife, and camps of traveling covered wagons.

I asked him a question that was burning in the back of my mind.

"Have you ever been to Volterra?"

"No, ma'am. You don't just go up to their door and knock all neighborly-like."

I ducked under a branch as I thought about this. "Has your friend Jasper ever done so?"

Garrett chuckled darkly. "No. He's ornery as hell, but he couldn't launch something on that scale."

"Are they that indomitable?"

He leaped over a rock as he answered. "Almost. No one has found a chink in their armor yet. But it's gotta be somewhere. Everyone has one."

I said no more while I pondered what he said. Stefan and Vlad had never launched an all out attack on the Volturi, choosing to stay on their own home ground. And it would appear Jasper was attempting the same.

Was Jasper's plan foolhardy? Were they vulnerable enough outside of their protective home?

The scenery continued to pass us by, and not a word was spoken between us other than Garrett giving slight directions. We ran for days, almost non-stop. The times we did stop, it was to feed. I chose my usual fare of whatever wildlife was available. But Garrett preferred human game, and I tried to ignore the sweeter smell of human blood that almost emanated from him.

He asked me as we cleared a mountain pass. "Why do you deny yourself?"

"The person who made me…it was his way."

"Where is he now? Why has he has not come back to lord it over you? Is he maker, master, or both?"

I came to a stop, and turned on Garrett, catching him mid-stride. We rolled on the ground until I was on top, pinning him. Growling, I bared my teeth. "You will not speak of him thus."

Garrett smiled triumphantly at me, knowing he was under my skin. "Last I checked, it's a free country, Miss. I can say what I damn well please. You should live a little, see what else is out there."

I raised my brows at his suggestion. "And what is it you're suggesting? That I should just forget everything that I am, live feral, and then what? Fuck you?" The last was said mockingly, a jibe meant at his own coarse language. But the word was unfamiliar to me and it showed on my face.

He gave a shocked laugh at my expletive. "Well if you're asking, I'm dancing, sweetheart." He shifted his pelvis, and the very real evidence of his acquiescence pressed against me.

It had been far too long, but it felt wrong somehow, and I instantly stood up and put distance between us. He got up and took a step towards me. I snarled at him and he held his hands up.

"Easy. I ain't gonna touch you. Just think about it. And besides, for what we may be up against, you might need a little human blood."

I eased back, and absorbed the abrupt shift in subject. "Why? Is there something you haven't told me?"

Garrett looked slightly sheepish as he held his hands a little higher. "No. Not really. Just that Jasper has a knack for getting himself into tight spots. And…maybe the Volturi will be there. They've been trying to shut these battles down before they get beyond an unmanageable scale."

"And what is unmanageable?"

He looked at me, his scarlet eyes delving into mine. "Think about it. Claiming an entire hunting ground as your own. If that hunting ground was one of the most populated but impoverished parts of the world…for most nomadic vampires having your own territory is only a fever dream. To make it a reality would be both a blessing and a curse."

"Why?"

He looked at me in frustration. "Because you could feed like a glutton, but constantly holding that property would take an army. And what better army than an army of newly born vampires? You remember what it was like? You were constantly thirsty, and stronger than you have ever been."

"But a whole army would…could potentially drink a town dry and draw far too much attention from the mortals."

"Exactly. Which is why the Volturi are keen to see any uprising squelched."

"Your friend Mr. Whitlock is entertaining the devil himself by participating in that."

"He's trying to force their hand. Nothing more."

"For what?"

"For love. He wants his mate back. Would you not do the same?"

Silence fell between us as I tried to comprehend conceiving something on that scale just to have Edward back.

It may work. But at what cost?

Garrett spoke while I mulled this over. "We should probably get going, I want to be there at dusk."

+IB+

The green scenery gave way to sandy brown. The ground was littered with brush and cacti, some of it I had never seen the like of before in my life. Before I could ask, Garrett spoke quietly to me.

"We're almost there."

The smell of burning met my nose but it had an odd element that I couldn't quite place. It was sickly-sweet but acrid. We cleared a steep rise, and as we did so, a purple plume of smoke appeared on the horizon, and Garrett's stride slowed. I came to a stop with him while we studied the land in front of us. We were on a plateau, and below I could make out figures in the dying light. Nothing was familiar; they were too far away to tell if they were human or vampire.

"Wait here."

I looked at him. "I will not. I'm coming with you. You're not going to bring me to this place just to leave me alone and vulnerable in the open."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Come with me. But I'm not sure what we're walking into. Do you know what that smoke is?"

"Obviously something is on fire."

Garrett nodded. "Yeah. But do you know what is on fire?"

I shook my head, and a steely look eclipsed his usual jovial face.

"It's vampires. Someone is burning themselves a big ol' pile of immortality. And not even trying to hide it."

That last statement was ominous, and I turned shocked and horrified eyes to that plume of smoke reaching towards the sky. I held my breath, not wanting to breathe in anymore of what was in the air.

A thought came to me, desperate and caused me to race forward. What if Edward was there?

"_Edward!"_

"Bella, no! Wait up, god dammit." Garrett's voice was small behind me as I catapulted myself forward. I was faster, panic making my strides longer, quicker, driving me closer to that horrible indigo cloud.

The wind roared loudly behind me as my feet ate up the distance. My mind refused to accept the worst case scenario and the mere thought of Edward hurt spurned me forward.

The figures that had seemed small specks before were now moving people. There were two groups, and a small patch of land separating them. As I came upon the scene, I could see two people in the middle. They looked as though they were…negotiating.

The first person, I would know that figure anywhere. His hair, the perfect shade of a burning sunset. His frame tall and lean, but full of quiet reserved strength. His robes covered most of him, except for his head, where the hood was pushed back. The wind must have shifted, and his head flicked over in my direction. His eyes widened for a moment in recognition before he turned away from me.

I looked at the vampire Edward was talking to, sizing him up. He was taller than Edward by almost a head and had a mop of blonde hair that swept past his ears. His nose was sharp as a knife blade and there was something ruggedly handsome about his features. But on a whole, he radiated a danger. The closer I got, the more I could make out a criss-crossed map of crescent-shaped scars on his neck and arms. There was even one over his eyebrow.

The group behind him seemed to pulse with energy, waiting to explode at any given moment. They were crouched, and seemed ready for any signal to fight. The only problem was they were only about six, and the group behind Edward was a dozen, easily.

Edward's group were dressed in the all too familiar dark robes, the hoods pulled over their heads so only a hint of their faces could be seen. I sniffed the air, trying to pick up familiar scents. I found none, other than Edward.

Garrett had caught up with me, and his hands settled on my shoulders, making me tense. Edward's eyes, which returned to me and then studied Garret behind me, caught the gesture. His eyes narrowed slightly and a shiver of approval swept through me at his reaction.

Garrett's voice whispered in my ear. "That one in the middle is Jasper Whitlock."

I watched as Jasper turned at the sound of his voice on the wind, and he cocked an eyebrow at Garrett before nodding at our presence. For a moment, his eyes were kind as if he recognized an old friend. The look was gone quickly, and replaced by a coldness that only the immortal could create.

He turned his frosty gaze on Edward and to a figure behind him.

"I'll stop when you give me back my wife."

Edward answered just as coldly, a tone I had never heard from him before. "She is no longer yours to have."

"Bullshit. Where do you people get off telling us how to live our lives, and take our mates?"

"We are an authority you will either recognize or you may join your rebelliously futile brethren on their pyre."

Edward gestured towards the plume of smoke and I tried to stop breathing as the smell once again filled my nose. If it were at all possible for a vampire to be nauseous, I was experiencing that now.

One of the hooded figures behind Edward stepped forward. A pale hand pulled the hood back, revealing a small impish face. Her features were delicate and lovely, her dark hair was short and cropped like a boys'. It only brought out her deep red eyes even more.

"Edward. We have our instructions. Spare the talented ones, kill the rest."

There was some nervous shifting behind Jasper. Another hooded figure stepped forward, but he did not remove his hood.

"Young Alice is right. No more negotiating. Take the Empath, the strong one behind him, and the two new ones."

Edward's eyes flicked to me, looking over me, worry crossing his gaze.

"They have nothing to do with this-"

"Yes. But one is a Shield, a powerful one...I almost didn't note her. And the other is a Manipulator."

_A shield?_

I looked at Garrett behind me who froze.

_Manipulator?_

Was he referring to me? Did I have a talent, like Edward? What was a Shield? Or a Manipulator?

Jasper and Garrett suddenly fell to the ground, screaming in agony, as did the other vampires behind Jasper. I stood, watching Garrett writhe on the ground. I bent to try and help him but he was beyond my help. He seemed totally unaware that I was even there.

Immortals could not feel pain; we were supposedly impervious to anything that could hurt us physically. This was something I had never experienced, and fear lanced through me. The Volturi advanced on the vampires behind Jasper. I watched in horror as they dismembered their brethren, the sound of immortal flesh tearing was horrible, like the screech and jeering of a locomotive coming to a stop.

I held my ground, more out of fear to move and end up like the twisted pile of mangled body parts. That acrid sweet smell grew stronger, and I knew then they were feeding those horrible flames. A hand grabbed my arm, and I yelped.

"Don't be afraid, they will not hurt you if you go quietly." Edward's voice was in my ear, washing through me, and I was comforted.

"What will become of me?" I opened my eyes and looked at his glorious face. He was like an archangel, his jaw strong, his eyes blazing.

"I don't know. I didn't want this for you, _mein Engelchen_."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head at me, his scarlet eyes were worried as they captured mine. "What are you doing here-"

A voice interrupted our quiet reunion. "Enough. We will interrogate them in Volterra. I'm sure Aro will be fascinated by our find."

Edward nodded, and his eyes met mine, beseeching and apologetic. "You will wear this, and do not try to escape…or we will…we will kill you."

My lips parted in shock at his words. He produced a crude black hood from inside his cloak and placed it over my head. I could not see, but I could smell, and touch. Having my sight cut off was something I wasn't used to, and I fought the instinct to struggle. Edward was here, and for the moment we were together.

That was all that mattered.

+IB+

_12 weeks later_

Being close to Edward again made me happy. For awhile.

Edward fulfilled his role as a Volturi guardsman to the letter. I supposed this was to keep me safe.

The other vampires did not fraternize with the prisoners, and Jane kept the rest of the them on a short leash. The larger guard, called Felix, was assigned to me, and kept an eye on me at all times as we crossed the American wilderness. I could not feel the pain or any of the other mentally manipulative talents that the others had and this seemed to make some of the older members of the guard nervous.

We seemed to be heading back east, and I thought I heard someone say Boston. They really were going to take us overseas. As soon as we were closer to civilization, we were loaded into a iron box and traveled via rail.

I had not fed in weeks, and as we neared the city, the smell of humanity burned in my throat. I longed to rip my hood off, break the wagon we were concealed in, and devour anything alive within a miles radius. My fellow companions seemed to be as hungry as I, but Jane kept them under control.

The iron box we were traveling in tilted unexpectantly, and it felt like we were being dragged up a ramp of some sort. I knew very well this must mean we were boarding a ship. Panic welled inside me, but I sniffed the air, and found Edward's scent. Calm settled through me, and I listened to the sounds of the ship being loaded and readied for our journey.

Suddenly the door opened, someone grabbed my foot and I was dragged out. I blinked as the hood was ripped from my face. I steeled myself for a fight, but Edward's familiar arms surrounded me, and his lips found mine.

His lips lifted from mine, and his hand stroked down my cheek. "Oh mein Engelchen, what will they do with you? I do not want this life for you."

I looked up into his eyes, and a longing filled me as I pressed my body close to his. "I only want to be with you."

"No. You must go, escape. I can only exist knowing you are alive and well." He dragged me up a flight of stairs, and moonlight greeted us.

"Come with me." I whispered afraid he was risking much by exposing us up here.

He shook his head. "I cannot. If I do, they will kill us both."

He lifted me in his arms, and held me over the side. I struggled, but it was futile. "No, Edward! Please don't! Not without you!"

Too much time had passed since I had fed, and I was no match for him. Edward threw me into the water and I barely had the strength to scream as I hit the drink. I sank, and water filled my useless lungs. When I hit the bottom, my feelings of rejection and separation from Edward ate at me.

Until finally I realized that wallowing would not reunite me with Edward. With the last ounce of strength left, I pushed towards the surface. Breaking into the air, I expelled water and inhaled the air. Hunger burned in my throat, venom pooled in my mouth, and I swam for the shoreline I could barely make out in the distance.

On the beach, there was not a soul around, and I entered the waiting forest, hoping to find some sort of prey. I could only find small game, but it was enough to energize me into a run.

I ran for days, in no particular direction. Boston was long behind me, and the wilderness surrounded me again. I ran and welcomed the burning pain of hunger. Falling to the ground out of weakness, I looked up as the sweetest smell ran across my nostrils.

Struggling to stand, I eventually made it back to my feet. Looking around me, I could see a clearing up ahead, where land had been made available for a homestead. It was mid-afternoon, the light golden and gentle as it fell upon a cabin. I could hear the laughter of children, followed by the voices of adults.

My nose caught the smell of their flesh on the air, and the last vestiges of my humanity left me as I stalked towards them.

I was all huntress and lethal predator as I fed on them. I glutted myself on something I had denied myself for so long. Something in me rejoiced as I was reborn in their blood and I embraced it fully.

I sat there, amidst their corpses, and looked down at the blood on my hands.

My life flashed before my eyes, from waking from the change, to finding Edward, and losing him again. My wandering, my feral existence and denying myself in hopes that if I patiently waited, Edward and I would be together again.

My patience was worn out, and for the first time in decades I was thinking clearly. I had heard one of the Volturi guard whispering about my supposed abilities. I was a Shield…and a powerful one.

The Volturi were powerful enough, they had routed Stefan and Vlad, and were able to keep a tight leash on their collection of vampires with abilities. If I was immune to them, could I not take what I wanted by stealth?

Could I shield Edward as well?

I had to try. I had to do something rather than living an existence where I barely existed.

I made my way to the nearest town, and reached it by nightfall. At dusk, I slipped quietly into a house, and was lucky enough to find a wardrobe which obviously belonged to a widow still in mourning. I quickly slipped into the dress, and found a hat with a netted veil for my face and crimson eyes.

The following day the weather turned foul, and I was able to walk about the streets unnoticed. The dress I wore was almost too tight on me, but this worked to my advantage when I asked to send a wire to Mr Jenks without the coin to pay for it.

I waited patiently until my wire was answered two days later, confirming the money I requested would be at the bank here in town.

Perfect.

The closest port was New York, and I quickly booked the train to my destination. I thought of how I would proceed. This was both suicide and madness but I no longer cared.

Once I arrived in New York, I wired Mr Jenks to confirm I would be traveling in Europe, and that he was to lease out my cottage.

Passage to Italy seemed to take forever and a day, and I was glad to once again set foot on dry land. A sickness had overcome some of the passengers on board, and several deaths had occurred.

How unfortunate, but very necessary.

The trip inland took several days, but it had been worth it to see the small city slowly reveal itself in the moonlight. A strange feeling moved through me, as if I were seeing what could possibly be my own real death. Garrett's words whispered through my head, and I questioned myself for the hundredth time since I started this course of action.

Shaking it off, I set foot on the cobblestones at the entrance to the city. An eerie feeling like I was being watched shivered over my skin. I pulled my shawl around me and over my head.

I walked forward, the silent sounds of humans sleeping echoed from every window, walkway and door. I wondered if they knew a large nest of their most lethal predators lived among them.

Moving through the city, I eventually found the center. A large square opened up in front of me, a still water fountain rested quietly in the middle. A clock tower was positioned at the head of the plaza, like a King sitting in a tall backed chair at the head of a stately table.

I could hear music, a piano being played somewhere, and the song made me pause.

"Der Sturm."

The music stirred faster and louder, like wind and rain, crashing into my ears, pulling me towards it. As I pushed through the wooden doors, the music was clearer, louder. And his scent, it ghosted under my nose. I was entranced, all thoughts and movements solely focused on Edward.

For a moment, I was back in that drawing room, a fragile young girl again. I closed my eyes, trying to see the foggy human memory of the first time I ever laid eyes on Edward.

"Edward…" His name was a sigh, expelling from my lungs, leaving me breathless.

The music faltered slightly, but he picked back up again.

I looked up as a vampire with icy blonde hair came out of the shadows to greet me.

"Isabella Swan. We meet again."

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**Thank you for reading.**

**For those that have asked, this has maybe 5 chapters to go.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Thanks to TwilightMomofTwo for her skills and encouragement. **

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Garrett looked over at the horizon and grinned widely. "They made it."

I followed his gaze to see two familiar forms running towards us. "Is that Kate and Alice?"

He nodded, his grin wider still. "Sure are a sight for sore eyes. Can't believe I let her go without me."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Garrett, it had to be that way. If theVolturi had spotted you, they would have known it was a trap. Kate and Alice had their task to lure the Volturi here, that was all. If they knew anymore, Aro would have picked up on it."

Garrett toed the dirt at our feet. "I still didn't like it."

Kate stopped in front of us, her golden hair catching the last glimmer of the sun's light. Her eyes met mine, and she acknowledged my unspoken question. "They're coming."

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**Thanks for reading.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Special thanks to TwilightMomofTwo for being the awesome person she is.**

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"Caius." His name was a hiss from my lips, the acrid taste of it resonating on my tongue. The sound echoed off of the large marbled hall.

He inclined his head in a mocking gesture, his smile acidic. "How good of you to pay us a visit. Your constant reminder of our last encounter seems as fresh as if it were yesterday." His finger indicated a slight crescent shaped scar on his jaw.

I licked my lips, venom watering my mouth. "Where is Edward Cullen?"

He raised a pale eyebrow at me. "You are an overlooked jewel, Isabella. That will soon be remedied. Come, I would like to introduce you to my brothers." He turned towards a dark hallway, beckoning me. His disregard for my question angered me; I could feel the beginnings of a seething rage steal through me, strengthening me. I would not run from them this time. They would have to kill me.

"I'm leaving. With him. Tonight."

I sensed movement behind him, and the piano music continued to climb and whirl into a stormy bridge.

Caius laughed, his body shaking with mirth before he fixed a sharp gaze on me, like a bird of prey. "Youth makes the passion run deep and fiery. Remember your manners, young one. And remember where you are."

I was tired of this higher attitude, the assumption that _they_ were better than me. I would not be collected, and Edward would no longer be part of the collection.

"I am going to ask you again. Where is Edward?"

"Tut tut. I think you need to be taught a lesson." There was a dangerous edge to his voice, and I hissed again as I saw him start to lunge towards me. Before he could strike, a voice clapped off of the marbled walls like thunder.

"Caius! What are you doing?"

Caius immediately stopped, and his gaze was directed to the top of a staircase obscured from my view. Before he could answer, the voice continued, and a figure descended the stairs accompanied by several others. Their scents and silent hearts damned them as immortals, and a sharply drawn face appeared, its scarlet eyes fixed upon me.

"But who is this intriguing creature?"

"Cullen's mate." Caius spat the words, and I withheld a gasp at the vampires surrounding the figure on the stairs. There stood Garrett and Jasper, cloaked in Volturi gray.

"Ah yes, our little elusive diamond. How wonderful that it has found its own way home."

I felt my lips curl at his use of the word home. From Stefan's descriptions, I assumed this was Aro who led the Volturi along with Caius and another whose name I could not recall.

"She believes she is leaving with Cullen."

"Does she now? Well, bring Edward here, and I'm sure he will settle this for us."

If my heart was alive and beating it would have stopped. Edward. I was going to see him, and we would be leaving here. Tonight.

Surely it would not be that easy.

The piano music ended, and I could hear footsteps from another direction.

Anticipation raced through me, and suddenly there he was. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and he looked incredibly tired. His irises seemed non-existent as they blended into a dull black around his pupils. My entire being vibrated at the sight of him, but he did not meet my gaze as he entered the room. Instead, he came to a stop at Aro's side, and looked at him listlessly. The lines around his mouth seemed tense, and I could not look away from his morbidly beautiful face.

"Master?"

That word, it was filled with devotion, the only sign of life from him. Aro turned to Edward and lovingly stroked a hand over his cheek.

"Young Edward. This young lady wants to know if you wish to leave with her."

Edward glanced at me, finally, his eyes meeting mine for a moment. There was a brief flash of recognition, of longing, but it was gone as soon as it lit up his lifeless eyes.

The listless look returned, and he cast his eyes upon Aro. "No, Master. My place is with you."

A piece of me cracked inside, a small part that had remained wholly devoted to the idea of the perfect love that existed for my beloved.

But I tucked it away, unwilling to fully accept defeat.

"Edward?" His name was both a longing question from my lips. "Look at me." When he didn't, I repeated myself but was ignored. The other vampires in the hall laughed at me, and I could feel my temper building.

I took a step forward, and then another until my feet carried me to him. I reached out, and cupped his face, forcing his chin to move, so that his eyes fell upon me.

"Please, Edward. It's me. It's Bella."

But his eyes gave me no glimmer or sign that he wanted anything more than to serve the flimsy and aging vampire who stood so close to us.

Perhaps this was good bye...

One last kiss; it was all I wanted to hold on to. With no regard for the audience surrounding us, I threw my arms around his neck and held him with all that I had. I put everything I felt for him into the kiss I gave him, pushing all of the love I held for him in my own heart, hoping it was enough for the two of us to share.

I felt something stretch from me to him, as if I could almost encase us both, the feeling was so strong. My lips met his, and for a brief moment they were lifeless underneath mine. As the encompassing feeling surrounded us, his lips came to life, and the kiss bloomed between us. His arms, which were lank at his side, came around me then, holding me to him with a strength that pushed together the cracked and dead heart inside me.

If I could cry human tears, they would have streamed down my face at the force of his kiss. He took over, and I melted under the onslaught of the dominant need that pulled him to me and me to him.

The kiss ended with soft gentle promises of later.

"Bella?" His voice was unsure, as if he were waking from a nightmare.

"It's me. Come with me, Edward…let me take you from this place."

He looked up then, and his eyes narrowed as he assessed where we were.

Aro's voice echoed behind us. "Chelsea?"

"I do not know, Master, he has resisted somehow."

Edward's eyes were scanning my face, relearning every angle and plain. "Are you doing this, Bella?"

I looked at him in confusion. "I…I don't know."

"Jane!" Aro shouted for the vampire who had caused Garrett and Jasper to writhe in pain when we were in America. I saw her push her way to the front, her crimson eyes glaring at Edward and me.

"No!"

I put my hand out, trying to shield us from whatever onslaught she would throw at us. Knowing I would be unaffected, my concern was for Edward. Jane screamed, and crumpled to the ground.

Edward whispered rapidly in my ear. "Remarkable, Bella! You are able to block Chelsea's gift; she inspires fierce loyalty, which is how the Volturi swell their ranks. " I could feel a force being exerted around us, around him, flexible but impenetrable. The newness of the feeling was frightening but somehow, I felt empowered knowing we were invulnerable to whatever they threw at us.

Edward turned to me, his hungry black eyes meeting my scarlet irises. "We must leave here. Now."

Aro regarded us, greedy determination in his eyes. "I think not, little friends. You may have thwarted those gifts, but you are slightly outnumbered physically."

A large number of the guard stepped forward, as if on silent command, Garrett and Jasper amongst them.

We needed allies, and fast.

My new gift seemed shaky at best, but I wondered if I could somehow include Jasper and Garrett. I struggled, shifting and flexing the bubble around Edward and I, trying to stretch it towards Jasper and Garrett and some of the other Volturi guard standing there.

Time seemed to move slowly, the seconds stretched before us as I prepared myself for a fight I wasn't sure I could win. I knew the moment they were affected; their eyes blinked, and they seemed almost disorientated.

Garrett was the first to recover, but Jasper quickly followed him. They took out the vampires closest to them, just as I was wrenched away from Edward. A vampire tackled me to the ground, and I tried to keep my bubble steady as I warded off her attack. We snarled and bit at each other, struggling for dominance. She was on top of me, her hands going for my neck, when she was abruptly lifted from me. Jasper stood over us, holding the vampire.

"Alice! Stop! It's me! It's Jasper!"

Realizing this was Jasper's mate, I tried to bring her inside of the bubble. Her eyes cleared as the effects of Chelsea's gift wore off. I stood, as chaos reigned around us. I tried to focus, bringing the vampires around us into the shelter of my bubble.

I heard Garrett's voice over the noise of the fight. "Dammit, Jasper. Try to bring these assholes under control."

There was a subtle shift in the room, and the vampires who were fighting suddenly seemed to give up. Some of them froze directly where they stood.

"NO! You are mine. You are all mine. You belong to me!" Aro's angry howl filled the hall. He was on the edges, avoiding the fight.

"We are family. CHELSEA!" Her name was an anger-filled roar from his throat. I followed Aro's gaze to the vampire who was now ripped in two.

I tried to keep the oddly flexible shield around us. I felt Edward's hand on my back as he spoke to the befuddled vampires around the room.

"You are free! Run while you can, go where you will."

I did not get a chance to linger, for Edward scooped me up in his arms, and ran with the strength he had out of the hall, and into the night air.

"We must put as much distance between ourselves and this place as possible."

I knew he was weak, and as much as I loved being in his arms again, I didn't want to be the cause of his collapse. I remembered what it was like to be so hungry…I didn't want him to suffer. As I tried to get down from his arms, they tightened around me, the supple immortal perfection of his body holding me close to him.

"No. Let me…I want to carry you away from this place. This is only the beginning."

The words were a promise he made to me but to himself as well. The sun was close to rising, the initial newly born rays of the day only just touching the graying darkness of the night. I smiled as I stared at the horizon, refusing to look back behind us.

+IB+

_10 years later_

"Bella? Bella where are you? I brought you something!"

His voice thrilled me, every time he came home was like reuniting again.

I raced down the stairs, my skirts flying behind me. He held a small box, a smile lighting his face as he saw me. The box was quickly forgotten as my lips found his. So involved were we with each other, lips and hands finding purchase in places over clothing, that we barely heard the discreet cough from the study door that was wide open.

Edward's hands paused at the fastening of my dress, and I stopped trying to shred his best shirt. Our lips parted from each other, but he swooped in for one last soft, promising kiss before turning to our interrupter.

Edward cleared his throat and greeted the vampire in the study behind us. "Good Evening to you, Father." Edward refused to let go of me, and I placed my face against his chest and turned my gaze to the man who sat behind the old, wooden desk, his amber eyes smiling fondly at us.

Carlisle Cullen inclined his blonde head at us, his wise eyes knowing too much. He smiled at us, and then went back to his books.

Here in the quiet confines of a cottage in Ireland, we had made our home. Though Edward and Carlisle worked in the hospital locally, most people were suspicious in the way most sheep are suspicious of a wolf near their flanks. They respected Edward and Carlisle for their knowledge and abilities as doctors but that was where any other form of social acceptance stopped.

Carlisle Cullen was a good man, the product of his human father's gentle teaching as a minister. He was quietly confident, without the arrogance that age matured from him. His presence was comforting, and he doted on both Edward and me.

Edward leaned down and whispered softly in my ear. "Come with me."

I smiled, and took his hand. He led me outside and we took off at a run. He grinned as he surged forward, his legs faster than mine and unencumbered by skirts and petticoat.

"No fair, Edward Cullen!"

We raced over green fields, rain pelting us in the cloudy twilight. We reached the end of the land, where it paused briefly at a cliff overlooking a beach and the ocean.

His eyes met mine, and I knew without a word where his mind was. I placed my hand in his, and we jumped together, the air whistling by us. We landed on the beach seconds later, and I felt almost giddy. The ocean reached for the sandy shore, crashing again and again in a rhythm it had been building steadily since the land had risen above it.

Edward's lips touched mine, and they were hungry, and if I were mortal, they would bruise mine. But I matched him in intensity, as our hands resumed their aggressive push and pull on the clothing that separated us from each other.

As my hands slid the cotton of his shirt from his chest, I felt his fingers shred the laces holding my corset together. I smiled against his mouth, and murmured that he was so impatient.

We fell to the sand, his hand raising my skirts, exposing my stocking-clad legs. His knee parted my thighs as his hands continued to climb up my leg. His lips hovered over mine, and I opened my eyes the moment he reached the apex of my thighs. His eyes widened as he realized I wore no undergarments.

He growled, and it sent a shiver through me as lips found their way to my throat. My head fell back as he placed wet kisses on my skin. A whimper escaped my lips, as my hands found their way into his hair. Every touch, every sensation was like an electrical current racing through me, a circuited network of heightened nerves responding to his ardor.

"I love you, Edward." The feeling welled up in me, making me feel buoyant. I tried not to let memories of life without him cloud my mind. I would never let him go again.

The front of my dress suffered the same fate as the back, as Edward exposed more of me to the rain. I sighed as his mouth moved lower, over my collarbone to my breasts. The crashing pound of the waves behind us served as a pulse that seemed to grow more thunderous the more we touched.

His mouth found my nipple, and my lips parted as a soft moan escaped. He teased, he sucked, until I was arching beneath him, my sighs mingling with the sound of the ocean. His hand reached between my legs, his fingers parting and finding the sensitive flesh that was more than ready for him.

I gasped as he rubbed circles with his fingers, my body bucking against his hand as my legs parted wider.

I think I may have begged, but his fingers left me to unfasten his trousers, and he pushed them down his hips. Edward kissed me again, his mouth connecting and colliding with mine, our tongues touching as they delved. His hips thrust forward, and he filled me.

His lips were at my ear, and the words he spoke to me were emphasized with each pulse of his hips as he moved inside me.

"I want it to be where there is no me or you; only us, Bella. Only. Us."

I sobbed his name; it was a prayer on my lips as we worshiped each other with our bodies. I wanted this moment for the rest of forever, the feel of him complimenting every hollow and peak of my body with his own.

When we were replete and the rain had softened and abated, Edward held me in his arms. I inhaled, breathing in his scent, and the words of his letter from so many years ago came back to me.

Ever thine.

Ever mine.

Ever ours.

The clouds parted, and a full, contented moon softly glowed in the night sky; surrounded by the constant companionship of the stars.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. **

**Desperate to finish this story…trying to have everything tied up before New Year's. Ambitions and all that.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**

**Special thanks to TwilightMomofTwo for her awesome beta work, as always. **

* * *

I could feel the shift in the air, and I knew the exact moment the Volturi were in the near vicinity. My entire body shivered with excitement.

This was it. The moment I had been waiting on for almost three hundred years. Everything I wanted was finally in my grasp.

It was all down to one final linchpin. All of my cards were on the table but one: my ace in the hole.

They wouldn't even see it coming.

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**Next chapter up very soon. Thank you for your continued patience.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Many thanks to TwilightMomofTwo's tireless beta efforts and your continued patience.**

*****THIS CHAPTER STARTS BACK AT THE VERY BEGINNING AFTER BELLA WAS CHANGED AND READS EDWARD'S LETTER*****

**Jsyk.**

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BPOV

Vienna, 1801

Setting Edward's note down, I looked around the room. It was a shock just how clear everything in the room was, and how small things I had never paid attention to were now visible in the air around me. Even in the dim light, the minute pattern of the grain in the wood of the bed frame, the thread in the sheets, even the individual strands of my hair as it fell over my shoulder stood out in minute detail.

I noted there was an immediate, steady _thump-thump _in the room but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. It was a new sound that I was not readily able to identify.

Fire burned down my throat, but it was somehow different from the agony of the last few days. I inhaled, and the burn was all-consuming. Looking around, I noticed one of the maids in my room was sleeping quietly, her form slumped in a chair. The thump-thump sound was coming from her; I realized it was her heart.

Testing the air again, I knew I could smell her, and this startled me. She smelled…warm. Rusty.

Decadent.

I was out of the bed, moving too fast, and while my mind noted this, I was too focused on her to care. Before she could awaken, I was upon her, and before I knew what I was doing, my lips were at her throat; that creamy column of skin was torn as easy as lace. Blood gushed, warm and dark, onto my tongue.

I sucked greedily from her, but the blood gushed so fast from her, making a mess of my gown and her dress. When the flow of the blood trickled and then stilled, I stood back from her, shocked at what I had done.

She was dead, her form slumped in the chair as she had when asleep but her heart was still. Despair and anxiety gripped me as I tried to cry, but it was only dry sobs that choked from my throat.

_I have killed someone, taken her life away as if it mattered nothing to me. What have I become? _

What if someone comes in and finds me and her this way?

And already that dull ache of burning thirst was returning to my throat.

Tearing the nightgown off me, as well as my underclothing, I stood naked and panting in the middle of the room. I caught my reflection in the long mirror on the side of the room and gasped. My body was the same but different, subtle changes that I could tell were not there before. I looked stronger, sturdier but the feminine curve of my body seemed more alluring. The most frightening change was my eyes. I moved closer to the mirror, horror lancing through me at the horrible bright red of my irises.

I tensed as my ears picked up footsteps coming up the stairs and making their way down the hall. It was as if the world had slowed down and I had been sped up as I moved around the room.

Remembering the valise I had packed in the event I would run away with Edward, I pulled it out from the bottom of the wardrobe and sat it on the bed. Returning to wardrobe, I grabbed for a black dress mother had made for me last year when my grandfather died.

I grabbed for the dress and while struggling to slip it over my head, heard some the seams rip. I tried to be careful and dressed as quickly as I could. The doorknob started to turn and I grabbed for the valise and Edward's note from the nightstand. Not bothering with shoes, I made my way towards the window, which seemed to be my only means of escape.

The door was opening now, and I quickly unlocked the window and jumped, hoping a bush would break my fall below. Somehow, I landed gracefully on my feet in a fall that should have at least broken my legs. I didn't have long to register this in my mind as I took off at a run that was faster than any stride a human could achieve.

The streets were familiar enough, even in darkness. My eyes could see almost as if it were daylight as I traveled the cobblestones, trying to put as much distance between myself and my father's house. The newness of my body, the initial experiences of this new life were both perplexing and haunting, and I wasn't sure what to make of it all. The shame of the murder I had committed weighed heavily on my mind, but it was overshadowed by the frightening newness of what I had become.

I had no money, and Edward was gone. The burning in my throat was growing more intense as the seconds pulsed by. I found a darkened alley and hid in it, hoping no one would see me or find me. I could not stay here forever, but the magnitude of everything started to crush me from within.

I was dead for all intents and purposes.

I was a murderer and would never see my family again.

And I had no way of reaching Edward.

Just then, the whisper of a footstep caught my attention, and I shrank back into the shadows. The steps were cautious and I tried to keep as quiet as possible. A scent whispered to me on the breeze, and somehow it was slightly familiar.

"Bella?"

That voice, it was like the sun had come up and lit the dark place I found myself in.

"Edward?" My voice was a strange sound and I barely recognized it as my own. I dropped my bag and started forward. My eyes found him in the darkness, and my cautious footsteps were a leap toward him. Arms wrapped around me, his lips found mine, and his hands roamed over my body. Safe, I was safe because I was in these arms that knew me.

Our lips parted briefly, and his lips touched my cheek, my ear.

"_Mein Engelchen_, how I have missed you. I am so sorry I was away from you for so long. I came back to find you. I knew you would be awake soon."

"Edward…I killed somebody. A maid."

His hand ran stroked my cheek. "It's alright. Don't worry yourself over it. We've all made our mistakes in this life. I will teach you how to control your urges."

The guilt was still overwhelming, even at his attempt to soothe me. "Take me away from this place, Edward. Take me away…please." The last was said in a pleading whimper as I remembered the maid's opened neck with both horror and greed.

His hand stroked through my hair. "I have a carriage waiting. Although running on foot would most certainly be faster, the carriage will be far more conventional. I have a place I can take you. Come."

We stood, and Edward took my hand and lifted my valise for me. He led me out of the alleyway and down the street, squeezing my hand reassuringly. The noises of people sleeping, their soft snores and breathing keeping a steady pace with their moist heartbeats set my throat on fire.

At the end of the street stood a carriage pulled by matching gray horses. Edward opened the door and helped me inside before following me. He shouted to the driver who quickly set the carriage into motion. Settling beside me, his arms wound around me, and the violent need racking through me dissipated slightly.

"You are exquisite, Bella. I am sorry I could not be there for your waking. Did you get my note?"

When I nodded, he continued. "I know you are only just new, and that everything will seem strange at first, but you will get used to it."

"Where are we going?"

"I have a place not far from here; I thought it would be wise to separate ourselves from the rest of humanity until you are acclimated."

The thirst in my throat burned, and the smell of the carriage driver, the horses, and all around us was building me to a fever pitch. Edward's nearness, his presence, his smell soothed me. His hands caressed over my body, and I felt safe in the knowledge that so long as we were together, I had nothing to fear.

And we would be together. Forever.

Emotion ran through me, fiercely, and the foggy memory of love from just three days ago seemed weak in comparison. Looking into Edward's golden eyes now, I knew nothing else bound me to this earth but him.

He was mine and I was his, and I wanted nothing more than to be with him for every dawn and dusk until the end of time.

Desire for him, for a taste of the pleasure he had given me before combined with the glory of my new-found emotions coursed through me. It was thick, like liquid fire running through my veins, channeling every want or need to him.

I angled my head towards his, and my mouth touched his lips, testing. I had never made the first move before, had never initiated any of our contact. Growing bolder, I pressed my lips to his. When my tongue caressed his, he took over, his hands cupping my chin, his thumbs moving over my cheekbones. I tried to get closer to him, needing to feel him against me.

I tried to move, but my dress made it far too difficult. I grew more frustrated, and tried to move again but my legs were only further entangled in the fabric. Edward's lips parted from mine, and I made a small sound of protest.

Edward must have read the look in my eyes, or perhaps it went deeper than that. His nostrils flared, his golden eyes turned wild, and I quickly found myself shoved against the opposite seat, my skirt and petticoat at my hips, my underclothing dragged from my body.

The darker side of me welcomed this, and I reveled in the feel of his hands on my newly sensitive skin. The way they slid up from my calves, hitching my legs to his hips sent new waves of pleasure through me.

His teeth grazed my throat, before moving up the column of my neck, over my chin, to my mouth. When he kissed it me, it was rough and should have been bruising. Our teeth clashed more than once as we kissed deeper, and my hands tore his shirt open revealing the expanse of his sculpted torso to me. I had thought he was beautiful before, but my human eyes did him no justice. As my hands ran over him, his muscles bunched and flexed. My lips parted as he kissed my neck again, and I opened my legs wider, needing more of him.

His hands deftly undid the fastening of his trousers, and he surged forward, plunging inside me. I threw my head back, and the noise that escaped me could only be described as animalistic.

I vaguely heard wood cracking, and Edward's soft chuckle in my ear.

"Easy. Channel your strength towards me. We don't want to break the carriage and frighten the driver."

I couldn't answer him as his lips claimed mine once again. I dimly noted the nervous whinnying of the horses and the answering shout of the driver but the rhythm of Edward's body moving against mine sent me into a blinding ecstasy, shutting out the rest of the world. It was frightening how much I needed. It was all too much; it consumed me and Edward must have realized it, must have felt it in the tautness of my body and the feral look in my eyes. Release claimed me, but my body was only temporarily satisfied, and deep need clawed through me again even as I felt Edward collapse on top of me.

I wanted whatever would quench the violent thirst inside me. The problem was I didn't know if it was Edward's body, or the blood of the man driving the coach outside that called to me most.

Distantly, I heard Edward mutter to himself about the carriage being a bad idea. He adjusted his clothes, and then my own.

"What are you doing?" My eyes searched his face, and for a moment I was afraid he was going to leave me. His mouth was tense but his eyes gentled as they met mine.

"We are far enough away from the city. We can go on foot from here and be a lot faster. Can I trust you to stay with me and not run off?" At my nod, he rapped sharply on the carriage roof, and it came to a halt.

Edward opened the door, and alighted from the carriage with my valise. Setting it on the ground, he turned to me and held his hands out. I stepped forward, trying not inhale the delicious scent of the driver or the horses. Once on solid ground, I watched as Edward pulled money from inside his coat and handed it to the driver, thanking him. The driver nodded curtly and turned the carriage around before speeding off into the night. The burn in my throat begged me to follow him. I stopped breathing, and it helped, if only a little.

I looked to Edward who grinned at me.

"We're far away enough from the town, so long as you can follow me we can run from here. How do you feel?"

I mentally cataloged the feeling in my throat, but the ache to be close to him was more. I nodded at him. "I'm fine."

He winked at me then. "Hope you can keep up!" I watched as he took off into the woods. An invisible cord seemed to link us, and I ran after him. Again that sensation washed over me from before: that I was moving far too fast than my human legs would have allowed. I lifted my skirt to give my legs more freedom and followed the scented trail Edward left behind. Night shadows that would have frightened me seemed alive and alight even in the darkness.

I caught up to him and he smiled at me, unadulterated joy on his face as he took my hand and we ran together. A sense of freedom I had never known before washed through me, and although the feral need still pulsed in my mind and body, it was numbed again slightly by Edward's presence.

Time seemed immeasurable as we ran; I didn't know if it was for minutes or hours or seconds but soon, we were nearing an old stone house in the middle of an estate. A long, winding driveway disappeared into the tall trees that lined the front of the estate.

Time seemed to have taken its toll on the old house, but the smell of a fire burning somewhere caught my attention. There was no life inside, nor any surrounding us but the creatures who inhabited the forest behind us.

We were well and truly alone out here.

Edward spent the next few months weaning me off human blood and teaching me to hunt animals. Edward was patient with me, always willing to explain or answer any question that I had. He told me of his life before we had met, about his immortal father, Carlisle. The house we stayed in had been a gift from Carlisle to him many years ago, an old piece of property passed from father to son.

As time passed, the horrible red of my eyes changed to a warm amber and then finally a buttery gold. I learned the capabilities of my new body and my new life. Before, in my old world, it was at my parent's bidding that I lived. When to eat, when to sleep, where to go, how to dress, how to act.

With Edward, he merely guided me, and I was allowed to be myself. The constant need I had experienced began to ebb; Edward explained this was because my newborn instincts were wearing off. I was frightened at first, unsure if I was ready to let go of what I had grown accustomed to.

I bore those changes only because the love between us did not dim. It did not sputter. It seemed to be brighter with each passing day, the wick never reaching the end.

Once the newborn in me had quieted, Edward took me traveling. We moved across borders and into countries I had only read about. The whole world was at our feet, an endless supply of fascinating places to explore and I enjoyed it all the more because I was with Edward.

One night, while in Florence we had been to see an opera and left early. Whether it was the story or the darkness or just spontaneous want, neither of us could sit still without touching the other.

He took my hand and we ran out into the cool night. The air was damp and heavy, the moon obscured behind clouds. Edward pulled me down an alleyway and pressed himself against me, his desire for me evident. His lips were at my throat, and he growled against my skin.

"I don't think I could have kept from doing this another minute."

My fingers in his hair, I gasped as he bit my earlobe but tensed when he abruptly stopped.

"Edward?"

"Sh. Someone's coming."

He turned his back to me, and his stance became defensive.

I looked down the alley from where we had come, but it was clear, a streetlamp flickering in the night.

But at the other end, I heard the distinct sound of a footstep and the rustle of clothing. We were not alone.

And then they were upon us.

"Secure that one; it's only Cullen that we want. Kill her if you must."

Unable to comprehend what was happening, I screamed as Edward was wrenched away from me. Strong arms pulled me into an unbreakable hold that threatened to break my head from my body. I watched as he fought against six of them, who were dressed in long dark robes. A hand clamped over my mouth, and my arm was twisted violently behind me,. Although it did not hurt, the disturbing sound of the my arm starting to unhinge from my body stilled me.

I tried to snap at the hand covering my mouth; I tried to kick but my attempts were futile. Cruel words were whispered into my ear.

"Do not try to follow us or we will kill him and you. This is your only warning."

And as quickly as they were there, they were gone.

And I was alone.

+IB+

_Ireland, 1901_

"Carlisle, he should be back by now. He should have returned!"

I was pacing the study while Carlisle calmly sat at his desk, his studies laid out before him.

"Have patience, Bella. He will return soon. Someone may have stopped him on his way and asked for his help."

No, something was wrong. I don't know how or why, I just knew something was not right. It was more than just a feeling, it was a tightening sensation that worked its way through me, filling me with dread.

I continued to wear a path in Carlisle's study for another two hours. When the clock struck six in the morning, I knew I was going out after him. I grabbed my shawl from the bedroom and was just about to open the door when a sharp knock sounded from the other side.

I opened the door, and there stood a frightened looking boy of no more than fourteen. His trembling hand held a note out for me to take, and I retrieved a coin from the table in the hallway for him.

I nearly ripped the fine paper in my haste to read the note, which was written in Edward's hand.

_Bella,_

_They have come for me again. I realize I cannot live with you any longer. Please do not come after me._

_E_

I ran out of the door, vaguely hearing Carlisle shout after me. The morning sun was just about to peek over the horizon. We were not to go out in sunlight, or mortals would see we were different from them.

I did not care. Edward was my only focus. The words in that note were false, they were designed to keep me from getting hurt or away in general. He had to have known I would come after him.

I can imagine the threats they had used and Edward afraid for me, had gone with them.

I tried searching for his scent, tracking him to the spot where he was taken. By the time I found it, the sun was strong enough to shoot prisms of light over my skin, and I knew I must get inside soon. Judging by the amount of footsteps on the ground, and the different scents that lingered, there had been at least a dozen of them, with who knew what powers. Some of the scents were familiar, some were not.

I looked in the direction they had gone, but knew I would be too late to catch them and would end up tracking them back to Italy alone.

Rage built inside me, anger so fierce my body seemed to shiver and vibrate with it.

This was not over. I would bide my time and take back what was mine.

* * *

**Thank you for reading.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks to TwilightMomofTwo for her epic beta skills.**

**Translation: Guten Tag, Schöne Leiche = Good Day, Beautiful Corpse (this is a reference to an outdated custom from the 1800s wherein Austrians had a fascinating obsession with death. It was customary to start saving for a sort of pomp and circumstance to one's funeral and having a good looking corpse. Google it. Fascinating stuff.)**

* * *

I checked my appearance in the mirror before leaving my room.

My black dress was the height of fashion, a fitted jacket dress with a full skirt. The wide collar opened to reveal my collarbone upon which a simple string of pearls lay gently across my iridescent skin. I wore gloves the same color and material as my dress, and a small simple hat was perched on top of my head.

I fastened a simple silver broach onto the lapel of my dress. Just before leaving, I placed a delicate pair of tinted glasses on, to hide my crimson irises.

Placing my small handbag over my arm, I made my way to the main lobby of the hotel to inquire about any wires or mail, and the nervous man behind the counter produced a letter addressed to me.

**Dear Madam**

**I regret to inform you of the untimely demise of your aunt, Isabella Swan. **

**We have been authorized to act on your aunt's behalf, and as such, execute the terms of her will. Per her wishes, you have been named the sole benefactor of her estate. **

**I would be obliged if you could contact us at your earliest convenience in order to finalize the items listed under your Aunt's estate.**

**Yours faithfully**

**James Jenks III**

_How sad. I'm dead again. _

_And I've left everything to myself. I'm rich again. _

Pursing my lips, I opened my purse and delicately placed the letter inside. I made a mental note to visit the offices of that town I had settled in America nearly a century ago.

I stepped out into the spring rain of Vienna. The city was still recovering from previous occupation during the war, and my lip curled at the thought of Nazis in my home.

My father's house remained relatively untouched, and for this I was amazed and grateful. After Edward had been abducted, I had attempted to steal him back. That had led to a very nasty battle between myself and more than a dozen immortals in which I had nearly lost my own immortality. Aro had stopped the battle, allowing me to go free. This had only been done at Edward's request, his promise to kill himself at the first opportunity making Aro pliable to end any attempts at my demise.

Without Edward, I was dead. Trying to get him back, I would die. If I died, so would he. Without me, he was just as dead.

I'd sunk into a dark depression once again, and finally ended up back in Vienna. Familiarity was a soothing balm. Currently, I was overseeing a rebuilding and modernizing facelift of my father's house.

Opening my umbrella as I left the protection of the overhang outside my hotel, I walked alone, my black heels clicking ominously on the pavement. I stopped at the shop down the street, where I bought a simple bouquet of white roses. Purchase in hand, I hailed a taxi and gave directions in rapid German for the graveyard where my family was buried.

After several silent minutes filled by the rain, the car engine, and the beating of his heart, I stepped back out into the rain, my umbrella once again unfurled. Looking at the entrance, it was much grander than when it began. It was now the largest cemetery in Vienna, if not the world.

I knew where I was going, and my footsteps sounded on the paved walkways as I found my way to my father's grave. I'd had the stone replaced, the old one crumbling and decaying. As I stopped in front of the stone, the familiar name filling me with fresh grief.

_Papa. _

In my foggy human memories, I recalled his smile and the doting touch of his fingers as he mussed my hair.

Laying the roses down on his grave, I selected some out of the bouquet and left them for my mother.

And next to them, barely legible, was my own grave. Would that I were actually underneath that stone than left to wander alone.

And I could hear Garrett in my head, chuckling softly in my ear.

_If wishes were horses, poor men would ride. _

A sound from my left brought me from my reverie, and I listened closely as footsteps fell on the walkway, with no heartbeat to match them.

Perhaps this was where I would finally meet my end. Whoever this angel of death was, I hoped deliverance for me was on their mind. They made no sound to identify themselves, and I relaxed the instinct for self preservation, tamping down both flight and fight.

I focused on the graves in front of me, my eyes tracing my name over and over in the crumbling stone, as I listened to rain hitting against cloth rather than pavement.

I could smell whoever it was now, no longer downwind. I knew this one drank human blood, the distinction between scents obvious to my nose. Out of the corner of my eye, a petite form drew up beside me. Her skin was pale and delicate like mine, and she seemed the same human age as me, though smaller in frame and size.

"Guten Tag, Schöne Leiche."

I replied nothing back, simply waiting on the reason why I had been approached.

"You have no need to be afraid of me. I am much like yourself: miserable, alone, and nursing a private grudge."

I finally lifted my eyes from my gravestone and looked at her sharply. "What do you know of grudges?"

In a motion of supplication, she lifted her small hands, palms open. "I mean you no harm, but I have come to discuss with you an enemy in common."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because you and I have nothing left to lose and I have brought you this."

I tensed as she reached into her cloak, but relaxed as she handed me a sealed envelope. I could smell it as soon as she pulled it from her cloak, a scent far too familiar and haunting.

_Edward. _

Taking the envelope, I could have sworn it burned in my hand. "Go on."

She shook her head. "Not here. Can we go somewhere a bit more private?"

"Where do you want to go?"

She smiled secretively and turned towards the way she came. "I know a place."

It crossed my mind that this could be incredibly foolish but I had nothing left to lose.

The small vampire looked at me, and then led the way to a church that was nearby.

I hesitated but she urged me forward. "Come with me, I mean you no harm."

Squaring my shoulders, I followed her. Once inside the large church, she led me through to a stairway that was sectioned off limits to the public. It appeared to lead below the main floor, and the smells emanating from the doorway were those of death and decay. I stopped, the smell making my lip curl, but she urged me forward.

"There is no one down there but the dead. Don't be afraid."

Her words seemed ominous, and I watched as she descended the stone steps and down into the dark. Reluctantly I followed, curiosity overtaking my sense of self-preservation.

A dim electric light flickered, and the smell of decay was stronger now. I stopped breathing, the overwhelming smell blocked out everything else. I removed my glasses, and placed them along with Edward's letter in my small purse.

She led me through the crypt until finally she paused and turned to face me.

"I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Corin. Like you, I had a family, I had a home. I had people who loved me, and people I loved. From what Edward has told me, you chose this life, and that the two of you are perfect mates for the other.

"I have watched it for centuries: Aro's constant desire for dominance, for control and power. He has no care for who he hurts, and who he kills in order to achieve greater heights by his estimation.

"Did you know he killed his Volturi brother Marcus's wife, Didyme, just to keep Marcus at his side?"

She continued before I could answer. "And after watching it for far too long, I find I am growing tired of the constant selfishness. That day when you rescued Edward was a turning point for me. Everyone seemed to wake up for that brief moment when you used your shield. Did you know Aro was truly afraid of you? Did you know he still is?

"For all the vampires that have tried, you are the only one he has never been unable to control or manipulate. The only way to control you is to hold Edward captive. He knows you won't attack again if Edward is under threat.

I growled unconsciously at the thought of Edward coming to harm. "I cannot take down the entire Volturi alone. And they will know when I'm coming. It is hard to keep anything from Aro."

Corin smiled. "That is where I come in. You see, Aro keeps me around because I help Chelsea keep everyone else in line. I have the ability to control emotions, not unlike your friend Jasper. I want to help you, Isabella. I want to give you back your mate, and I want to help you bring Aro to his knees."

"How?"

"You will need allies. An army of them, to beat them at their own game. Meanwhile, I am going to start a fire from the inside. Chelsea and I have been talking, and without us, Aro has nothing. We are so tired of carrying his burden. So very tired."

Her eyes suddenly seemed much older than they outwardly appeared and I wondered how long she had been in servitude to the Volturi.

"Why now? And how do I know you were not followed? Does Aro know you've left?"

Corin smiled in the darkness. "I'm allowed out once a year to do as I please for a week. This year, I've chosen to see you."

"This will take some time to plan, to organize."

She nodded. "I am aware of that. But I know you can do it, Isabella. Edward believes in you, and so do I."

I considered what she had said, and then I hit a snag in her story. "How are you getting all of this past Aro?"

"Edward has simply given me a letter to post. It's been screened, of course. Aro leaves me alone, for the most part. So long as I do my part, he is more interested in acquiring. You would have been next if you hadn't been so dangerous with your expanding shield. You're blocking me right now. It's unsettling."

I raised an eyebrow at her, but then returned to the topic at hand. "I don't even know where to start."

Corin rolled her eyes at me. "Well. I suppose I could give you a tip. They haven't recaptured that empath friend of yours, or his girlfriend, the psychic. I've told you enough for today. I will meet you again in one year's time. Paris, in front of the Notre Dame at four. Do not be late."

"Wait!" I followed her out of the crypt, to the entrance of the church. I caught her just as she exited the church. Outside, the rain fell on my face as I caught her arm.

"I can't just barge up to Alice and Jasper and ask them to help me pick a fight with the biggest and most powerful coven on the planet."

Her eyes looked toward the grave yard. "Humans dwell too much on the dead, building for them places such as that. What a waste to spend eternity slowly decaying. It would be a waste of your own eternity to spend it without your mate, Isabella Swan. Until next time."

I watched as she disappeared into a car, the engine slowly humming down the street as she disappeared around a corner.

I had twelve months until I had to be in Paris.

I needed to find Jasper and Alice and had no clue where they would be.

But first, first I would read Edward's letter.

I quickly opened my umbrella, and replaced my glasses. Making my way to my father's house across town was cut quickly by another taxi. Soon I was standing in front of the freshly painted and refaced building.

Walking inside, a flood of fuzzy memories hit me: a ghostly piano note, the sound of my mother's laugh, the clink of silverware and china. The house was different now, so many things missing, but the basic layout was the same.

I closed the door behind me, and reached for the letter from my purse. The paper rattled in my hand as I tried to open the envelope as gently as possible.

_Mein Engelchen_

_I hope this letter finds you in better spirits. I hope that I am forgiven for my last correspondence. _

_The memory of your voice, your touch, your smell keeps me sane. I hold on to you in the night, hoping you can remember my embrace as much as I remember the feeling of you in my arms. _

_We shall be together again some day. Hold on to that. _

_Wait for me, as I am waiting for you, my immortal beloved. _

_-E _

Dry sobs reached my throat, and I allowed myself this one moment of weakness. I would be strong later. For this one moment, the mask slipped and I gave into the heavy grief of not having Edward beside me.

The sun went down, and the days passed. No one disturbed the house, and I lay on the floor in my dress, not caring if it was dusty.

I sat there, considering what Corin had said, and reread Edward's letter more than a thousand times.

I turned my problem over and over in my mind like a puzzle piece, not quite sure where it fit in the grander picture.

Alice and Jasper…

Take down the Volturi…

Be with Edward…

Three of us would never be enough.

I could see the end result, but I wasn't quite sure how to arrive at it.

+SS+

It was evening, I was sure of that. It could very well have been Saturday when a knock sounded at the door. So lost in my thoughts, I had taken no notice of the world still going on outside.

I certainly took notice now. Whoever was on the other side of that door wasn't human, but they were polite enough to knock.

"Bella? Open the door."

Alice.

I was up, and I attempted to smooth the wrinkles from my dress but it was impossible. Grasping the lock, I turned it and pulled the door open. Jasper and Alice moved through the opening. Alice was dressed in a figure hugging dress, and Jasper wore a crisp suit. His hair was still long, but he brushed it behind his ears, shooting me a wide grin as Alice took his hand.

Before I could speak, Alice stopped me. "I saw you were going to try and look for us, and it was going to take you a while so I thought we would save you some time and make the trip. I've never been on this side of the Atlantic before. It's all so romantic. We're in, by the way, and can't wait to get started. I think we should go to Romania and meet up with your friends. I see us going there next."

I blinked, trying to take all of this in. I looked to Jasper who chuckled as he gently nudged Alice.

"Darlin', remember she's not used to you, yet. Cut her some slack."

Alice smiled brightly. "But she'll get used to me. You should probably change. I booked us tickets on the train; I hope that's okay. I see us running part of the way, you get us lost but then remember how to get there. This is a very pretty house, why is there no furniture in here? Oh, I see, you lease it out. How nice."

I looked at Alice, and then at Jasper for help. "I promise, it only gets worse."

"We should probably get going. I can help you pack."

+IB+

Alice was right about everything, which I was finding less and less bewildering. We did get lost briefly, and then I realized we were heading in the direction Edward had tried to lead me to get me lost the first time I came this way.

Finally, we stood on the front steps to Stefan and Vlad's home, and I smiled at the familiar creak and groan of the old castle. Although it had only been a short time, it felt like a craggy piece of childhood, a stony grandparent welcoming me with open arms after a long journey.

The door creaked open, and a scared looking girl cowered. Behind her, a voice echoed from the grand hall.

"Do come in, draga Bella. And bring your friends."

I stepped towards the door, but realized Alice and Jasper weren't following.

"We're not coming in. Please give our apologies to Stefan and Vlad. I only needed to guide you here. Jasper and I will continue on.. Trust me, the less I know is better in the long run."

I watched as they left me, and then turned towards the open doorway. Inside Stefan greeted me, his ancient face bemused. Vlad stood by the fire, a lopsided grin on his face, and his tall frame beckoned me.

I ran towards him, and he lifted me into one of his familiar hugs. The old Vampire greeted me like a long lost sister.

"You should not stay away so long again!" He exclaimed over me before kissing my forehead.

Once he set me down, Stefan poured me a drink from the decanter on the table. The blood was fresh, and I sipped from the glass he offered me.

"As happy as we are to see you again, to what do we owe this visit?"

I sat down in the chair across from Stefan, and Vlad took his place at the other side.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at them and began. "I need your help. And I don't know where to begin."

* * *

Thank you for your patience. I seem to be flying through this now.

Next chapter should be the last with a small epilogue.


	16. Chapter 16

Corin and I met off and on over the years to check on my progress. She would bring a letter for me from Edward each time but would not accept my correspondence back.

Through Stefan's connections, I was able to meet several other vampires who were in the same circumstances. It would appear that Aro had been operating this way for centuries, separating mate from mate. It was his strategy, taking the talented vampires from their mates, threatening them with death, knowing that they would stay out of fear for their beloveds they had to leave behind who were never strong enough on their own.

The Volturi had obviously had word of my quietly planned revolution. Stefan sent word that he and Vlad had been visited again but were unable to give any information as I hadn't exactly kept them entirely in the loop.

I was the only one who knew all the pieces of the puzzle, the master plan. Sure, if the Volturi searched hard enough, they would be able to discover parts of the plan but I had one advantage – my shield. It prevented them from tracking me with their talented guard. I was able to move freely, without hindrance.

And the whole time, I thought about Edward, and being held in his arms for the rest of eternity.

+IB+

Present Day

The sun had finally set when they cleared the horizon.

My whole body was buzzing as they stepped closer, an enemy line uniformly advancing closer like night covering the day. I recognized Aro and Caius, and Marcus too. There were other faces, which looked as though they were carved from stone, unmoving but startlingly beautiful. They moved as one, an army ready to fight.

I threw my shield out to protect those around me. My eyes searched the stony faces of the Volturi for _him_. There, to the left, surrounded by other guardsmen stood Edward, his eyes despondent.

And next to Aro stood Corin and Chelsea. Corin met my eyes briefly, and I blinked in acknowledgment.

All was ready.

This was it.

Would it be over by the time the sun rose again?

Aro spoke first, his tone acidic and unpleasant. "Isabella Swan, you seem to have amassed quite an audience for our long overdue discussion. I do not understand why you couldn't just come to us directly; instead you show yourself here in what could be misconstrued as an act of aggression."

I said not a word, and the silence stretched between us. Finally, he spoke again.

"You are aware that you have broken several of our cardinal rules in your disregard for our way of life and the secrets we must keep by this little display?"

Again, I refused to answer him, and the only movement was a slight breeze ruffling my hair and the lift and fall of the robes on the hooded figures behind Aro.

He continued. "All of this coupled with your previous invasion of our house leaves us no other recourse than to find you guilty. Surrender now, and your punishment will be quick."

This time, my voice echoed across the distance separating us. "No one will take me alive. The time has come to make things right, Aro. I am prepared to fight for the rights you deny me and the rest of us; we will fight to survive a world without you in it. No surrender shall be given. Surrender to me now, Aro, and I will think about ending it quickly for you."

Aro chuckled and looked at his companions before turning back to me. "Your threats are that of a silly young vampire with no experience of the world. You should learn some respect for your elders."

This time, Stefan spoke and he took a step forward. "Perhaps, Aro. But between us here we have plenty of time to know you are the disrespectful one. We have grown weary enough of your law to know we no longer wish to exist in the tyranny you enforce."

The verbal trade was no longer of interest to me. I had waited long enough.

"Enough talk. Release Edward to me, and surrender yourself, Aro, and the rest of your party may go free."

Aro laughed caustically. "Certainly not on both requests."

I smiled. "I was hoping you would say that." I moved my gaze over the guard behind Aro, addressing them.

"You do not belong to him. You are not a pet or trinket to be owned or collected. Some of you have mates who love you." My eyes met Edward's before running back over the silent faces. "Join me, and fight against the absolutism that has imprisoned you for so long."

The first to move forward were Corin and Chelsea. They walked hand in hand towards me, a smile on each of their beautiful faces.

"Chelsea? Corin? How dare you!"

Chelsea looked over her shoulder. "It's time to give back what you've taken over the last few millennia."

Stunned, Aro staggered back, his ancient face screwed into disbelief. "Felix! Jane!"

Corin had warned me that there would be some who remained loyal to Aro but this did not matter. Before Jane could latch on to Chelsea or Corin, I included them under the umbrella of my shield.

Edward followed them next, his eyes burning into mine. My lips parted, the look on his face was full of conviction, promise and dark vengeance. When he reached me, he caught me up in an embrace that nearly crushed me, but I held him to me just as fiercely.

His voice caressed my ear, sending electric currents through me at the sound.

"We will have more of a reunion later, _mein Engelchen_."

I nodded, and he released me but I was still pressed to his side, his arm around my waist.

More vampires followed, and the enemies lines thinned. Some stayed, and for what reason, I would never know. One of the most surprising moves was made by Marcus, who turned his back on his brothers and solemnly moved with the other vampires to join the growing number who stood with me.

"Kill them! Kill them all!" Aro's frantic voice filled the air, and the remaining vampires charged forward.

Their number was still formidable enough, but we were prepared.

The sound of a wolf's howl could be heard in the darkness behind me and I answered with a signaling whistle. Running footsteps cleared the rise, the snarl of vampires both old and new echoed across the valley as Jasper led his newborn army forward from the East side. From the South, the vampires who had agreed to join me in this fight emerged, running forward with their teeth bared.

The most formidable sound was the snapping growl of the werewolves as Vlad led the beasts forward. Above the din I heard Caius' raised voice, but I couldn't quite make out what it was as a large vampire tried to grab me around the neck. I quickly moved out of his path as Edward's snarling form collided with my attacker. I watched him, his muscles flexing and coiling as he fought with the Volturi soldier.

I straightened in time to catch sight of Aro's face. True fear crossed his face as he turned to the guard behind him. The remainder of the guard leaped forward as Edward dismembered the guardsman.

The fray was a blur of immortal movements of defense and offense. A fire had been started in the west, that horrible smell of burning vampire flesh filling the air as a column of thick, violet smoke rose towards the moon.

I fought hard, tearing at the vampires who came at me. A female guard threw a sharp punch at me, and Edward caught me before I hit the ground from the force of the blow. Garrett rushed by then, Kate behind him who used her pain inflicting ability to bring my female attacker to her knees.

"Thanks." I smiled at her and she smiled back.

"My pleasure."

I looked around for Stefan and Vlad, who had cornered Aro. He was theirs by rights, their revenge long overdue.

Out of the corner of my eye, a flash of white blond hair streaked by. I ran for it, knowing who it was. More than anything else, I wanted him to suffer from my hands. He'd taken Edward away from me, twice, and I blamed the loneliest and darkest parts of my existence on him.

I knew Edward had followed me, heard him fling a few attackers behind him as I weaved in and out of the crowd.

And there he was, trying to outrun the chaos. A coward, I should have known.

"Caius!"

He stopped and turned towards my voice, a sneer on his face.

"Why are you running? Where are you running to?"

His pointed chin raised higher as he surveyed the chaos. "I do not see the point in laying myself on the altar of Aro's ego. But you present an interesting alternative to stay."

"And that is?"

"To complete a task I should have finished a long time ago. I should have ended your silly little existence back when I acquired your lover. I shall remedy that now."

"It sounds like both of us have unfinished business."

We flew at each other, and all of the anger and frustration I had built over nearly two hundred years culminated into strength I didn't know I possessed. Where Caius was quick and experienced, I was strong and precise, meeting him blow for blow. We tore at each other, we snarled and attempted to dismember each other.

Caius had me pinned beneath him, maintaining wicked smile on his face as I tried to roll him off me unsuccessfully.

"Do you see, Bella, how you will never win at this? It's over. Everything you may have achieved today will be for nothing, because I will kill you now."

His hands were around my throat, and I fought hard to get him off me. I could feel pressure building, and the horrible sound of my infallible skin separating as he started to behead me.

"I love you, Edward."

A roar echoed from somewhere around us, and the weight that held me down was suddenly gone. I blinked, not sure what had happened. I turned my head, the movement feeling slightly off as my skin desperately tried to knit back together. My eyes fell on the scene in front of me.

There stood Edward, his clothes torn, his shirt ripped from his body. His muscles defined by moonlight, he rose like an avenging angel, Caius' head swinging by the hair from Edward's fist. He swung his arm, throwing the head towards the billowing fire.

I tried to get up, but my body seemed unable to respond. Edward turned, his eyes met mine, and he moved towards me, instantly at my side.

"Don't try to move, Bella. Give yourself a moment to heal." His hands were smoothing over my shoulders, his jaw flexing as the wild look slowly left his eyes.

I raised a shaking hand up to his beautifully handsome face, running it over the strong line of his jaw.

"I thought I was going to die."

He shook his head. "No, _mein Engelchen_, I would never let that happen to you."

Edward scooped me up in his arms and held me against his chest. Laying my cheek against his skin, I was instantly soothed by his presence. I felt safe and secure for the first time in a very long time.

We looked out over the battle before us, the thinning crowds of soldiers fighting to the last before being killed by the allies and friends I had brought with me.

Soon, there was only familiar faces standing, and the odd stray newborn who had not been corralled by Jasper.

The fire continued to burn, the heat touching our faces like a midnight sun.

Garrett and Jasper checked in, as did Vlad and Stefan. Each came with the same news, their words confirming what I could see with my own eyes.

Victory was ours. It was over. We won. And I could finally start my forever with Edward.

+IB+

Our forces withdrew, and good-byes were said. Being able to see the reunions between vampire mates was incredibly rewarding, and I refused to accept any thanks.

We had all accomplished the goal today. It wasn't down to any one person or movement.

It was something we had done for together.

Stefan and Vlad had been declared, by those present, the new ruling house, and Marcus had agreed to destroy the Volturi stronghold in Italy and would later join the Romanians. The newborns would also be sent to the remote Romanian castle where they would complete their first year before being given the choice between becoming a soldier in Stefan and Vlad's guard or being set free.

When it was only Edward and me, I felt almost nervous in his presence. He had saved me today, when it was I who had set out to save him.

We sat on the plateau and watched the sun rise over the desert: first a dull gray glow before bursting into purples, then pinks and oranges over the sky. After that, I don't remember much.

We had started out side by side, his arm around my shoulders, his fingers tracing from my wrist to shoulder. I had leaned over to kiss his neck and he returned the kiss, first my temple, my cheek, and finally my mouth.

I released a shuddering breath just before his mouth met mine. The taste of him was like being welcomed home. His lips moved against mine, and my body melted into his. My hands moved to his chest, palms down, stroking slowly upward.

His hands were in my hair, cupping the back of my head, and I gave my mouth to him, our tongues caressing, as his hands pressed me closer.

I poured it all into that kiss: every lonely moment when I had whispered his name out loud, every night that I had wished for his arms around me, every time I had just needed him, his strength, his presence.

His lips reassured me he was here, present, and he wasn't going anywhere unless I was coming too. His arms drifted lower, pulling me on top of him, into his lap, and I went willingly. My legs straddled his hips, my arms wound around his neck as his hand stroked up my spine. His other hand moved into my hair, his fingers flexing as he deepened our kiss.

The sun rose higher into the sky, and we stayed locked together, the day greeting us.

Later, as we lay naked under the baking sun, our skin iridescent in the light, he whispered softly against my skin words that had sealed our love together two centuries ago.

_Ever thine._  
_Ever mine._  
_Ever ours._

* * *

_Thank you for reading._

_A massive thank you to twilightmomoftwo, snshyne, and lambie for their amazing support. _

_And a huge thank you to you, gentle reader. _

_I have finished all of my works in progress as far as fan fiction is concerned, and I'm going to attempt to branch out with original fiction._

_The support of fandom has meant so much to me and has got me through some of the most difficult times of my life. For every review, tweet, and DM…they are more precious to me than gold. _

_Thank you. _

_You can find me on twitter scarlettpen_


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